ENTANGLED HEARTS

im the next morning.

nce at him. Didn't say hi. Didn't save him a seat. She sat two rows ahe

d her dur

e talk

resp

nded, then caught up as she pu

-hey,

p walking. "I'm

spread th

r her shoulder. "But yo

I suppose

I'm not some girl you're mes

n't say

idn't h

g between them

don't want anything real, say that. But don't stand there acting confused

ed her walk

ime, he did

nce was it got louder

ain. Thought about showing up at h

he di

maybe she

home and trying to keep this feeling between them ali

osing her. He

he wor

know how

ing, Maya

ng through her phone while Ava sat at he

hasn't

No

aven't mess

hat I need

you think maybe he's just scared? Or

king for everything. I'm just as

was

ne who waits around for someone to make up their

this time it

at the screen in front of

it to be

Liam let Tessa drag

e lights, the shallow conversations. But he was tired of thin

m a drink. Too s

she asked,

ed. "Yea

on't lo

bitterly. "T

. "Want to ta

ook hi

"Or we could talk ab

pull away f

im, it was brief,

n't kis

eone too

de its way to Ava

her phone, un

mouths too close. At a party she hadn't even known abo

he phone like

why she bu

she didn't t

ide the campus library. Her he

th, headphones in, hoodie up, hand

t, eyes widening

kissed

then closed. "It

expla

sed me. I

h her away either. A

nk, I wasn't thi

weren't think

g behind her eyes. She didn't w

" she whispered. "And ma

forward. "Do

was, wa

than I've been able to admit. But I've been.

alread

walked away-th

didn't c

hest hollow. This wasn't how it was supposed to go

ly. Privately. She hated that loving some

ries aren't meant to

ve to break befor

feel the whispers follow her from hallway to hallwa

t from under her," someone mutte

nown. Guys like L

telling herself not to react. Not to give

e, she was

f Liam kissing

ad started to beli

iam got another voice

was for a full two minutes, Liam. I need hel

e his dorm, phone clenched i

fix anything-not his mo

d the one thing that made eve

a reply. D

typed

like a mess. But you're the only th

dn't s

t if she was

sed Tessa, Ava drea

ry came u

he'd take her to the zoo. Sh

ver sh

id, "That's why we don'

lt herself o

her start questioning

re than the k

tedly. Campus bookstore. A quiet aisle. Her h

ers b

both

ed like he hadn'

m. He looked tire

see the apology fo

sn't ready

d. "You don't get to pre

ot pret

n own

Every da

eyes

se too

hen sh

ga

. different,"

feren

t. Like he finally un

rink. "So what are

her head.

oth

to fix things. Always the first to be

eep breath. "

om door that night, s

ing, maybe, she'd walk

er knocked