My Rebound (On My Own #2) - Carrie Ann Ryan Page 0,63

on a bright smile as she sat down. “I’m sure Mackenzie will, too.”

And there it was. The little moments I had been missing all this time.

Jesus Christ, I was an idiot. And I didn’t know how to fix it.

I sat down and set up my books. “You’re right. She does take care of me. I try to take care of her, too, though.”

“So, I guess it’s getting serious between you,” she said softly.

I froze, uneasy now.

“Well, I’m glad you two have each other. It’s sort of surprising, though. It feels like it came out of the blue. I mean, she was just with Sanders, and then I blinked, and you guys were together.”

I set my last book down. “And that’s a good thing... I mean she and I, we’re going very slowly.”

“Of course, I’m happy for you.”

She wasn’t lying. I thought I could tell when she was lying. But there was something else, and I had missed it all this time.

She looked at me, and her face went pale.

“How did you find out?” Her voice cracked yet had a hollow ting to it that broke me.

“Nessa…” I began. She stood up quickly, her books falling to the floor. She held out her hand and promptly shoved everything back into her bag.

“It’s fine. I’m fine. It’s a stupid little thing that I’m going to get over. Seriously. I’m happy for you two, and I’m not being a sarcastic bitch about it. I promise. We’re friends, Pacey. It’s just been a bizarre couple of months. I need to get out of my head. But I will. I’ve got to go.”

“Nessa.”

She held up a hand. “Please, I just need a few minutes. We’re not even really in any classes this semester, so maybe I should start studying with my other study groups.”

My heart twisted. “We’re friends, Nessa. That’s not going to change.”

“Of course, not. We hang out at parties and with groups. We’re friends, Pacey. But now that Corinne’s gone, and you and Mackenzie are...” Her voice broke. “I’m fine,” she said again. “I just need a minute. Okay?” I reached out for her, but she brushed it away. “I need some time, Pace.”

So I watched her walk away, closed the door behind her, and lowered my head, pinching the bridge of my nose.

So much had happened already this semester that I could barely keep up. It seemed all I did was make mistake after mistake. And it wasn’t that I was keeping secrets. I was just so used to being my own person and not confiding in others that I ended up hurting people over and over again. I needed to do better.

“I told you I would hurt you if you hurt her,” Miles said, surprising me. Miles was the quietest of all of us. Even though Tanner usually kept to himself and brooded more, Miles only spoke when he got nervous or, as I was coming to find out, when he was angry.

“I’m sorry,” I said. He shook his head. “Don’t apologize to me. What the fuck do you think you were doing, leading Nessa on like that?”

My eyes widened. “I didn’t lead her on. I thought we were friends. Her, me, and Corinne. Friends. I didn’t know that’d changed for her. I didn’t see it. And maybe I’m an asshole for that, but I didn’t make her any promises. Didn’t do anything.”

Miles narrowed his eyes but gave me a tight nod. “I know, I’d hit you right now if you had made a promise to her.”

“And I’d probably watch him do it, just to see if he could,” Tanner said, and Miles glared at him.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“I try,” Tanner drawled. “Nessa will be fine. She just needs to get over whatever ideals she has about you. But, Pacey? You keeping your illness from her and us and then suddenly dating Mackenzie like this? It’s a lot.”

I threw my hands into the air. “I wasn’t keeping my illness from anyone. I was just sick. I don’t tell everybody in the world I meet that, ‘Hey, I had a kidney transplant.’ Do you know what that’s like? To have people stare at you, wondering if you’re going to pass out at any moment?”

“You did pass out,” Tanner said softly.

I closed my eyes and groaned. “I know. And I should have told you guys. Mostly so you could check on me to make sure I was okay. I’m glad you guys know now and that you know the signs to