Bitter Kisses (It's Just High School #3) - Thandiwe Mpofu Page 0,28

in my fucking chest.

“I tried to keep my fucking attention off of her. I tried keeping her a secret,” I mutter, looking back at the past four years and how I thought I was protecting her, even when I hated her. “After that party, I tried to keep my attraction and my fucking feelings for her low key. Saw her from a distance. Paid attention to how she seemed to close in on herself, growing sadder, the weight of responsibility of Nancy weighing her down bur still, I wanted to be close to her, but I couldn’t because I fucking knew!”

“J…”

“Even back then I fucking knew if I so much as get close to her, if I touched her, if I kissed her again, she’ll have a fucking target on her back all because she’s mine! I fucking knew they’d target her now after I fucking claimed her but even knowing that I fucking left her out in the cold! I fucking abandoned her when she needed me! I fucking did this!”

“Bro, calm down!”

“How the fuck am I going to do that?” I seethe. “She told me, years ago that I had to keep my mess to myself, that I’m a glutton for punishment; she told me and I… I ignored her, literally, and now my mess is both our undoing.”

“Matthews is not your fucking mess!” Cole snaps. “Don’t you even dare think that for a second.”

“Isn’t he though?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, just stop!” Cole shouts now. “If there’s anything I’ve learned about this entire fuck-fest, is you and Mia are both atoning for sins your parents committed, for their vendetta and drama! You did not create that weasel as an enemy, him and his stupid airhead brother came on to you, using their sister because of some sort of unknown tension between their father and yours. John hinted on that shit just now.”

Yeah, I heard that but…

“If you’re going to fucking blame yourself—and for sure you have some guilt in this and I won’t be foolish enough to make you feel justified in ignoring Mia these past two weeks because that was a seriously fucked up move on your part, you asshole—but I’m saying, keep it in, just until we get the answers we need and then we go get her.”

“We should just go now!”

“No, we don’t!” he snaps. “We’ll be charging in blind, and we can’t afford to do that.”

He’s right. I know he is but with each second that passes, I’m painfully aware that Sean fucking Matthews has Mia, I want to blood to spill like a fucking river, buy I can’t divulge that last part to Cole, let alone anyone else. No, that part is only for me and what I have to do.

“Fuck!”

Silence.

The world becomes nothing but a blur as my mind races.

“Just a few answers and we’ll go get her,” Cole mutters, glancing at me in the tense silence.

I ignore him, feeling like I’d rather jump into a volcano than let Mia suffer another second with those… those, FUCK!

The moment Cole pulls into the driveway of the house that used to belong to Mia’s family but was so cunningly taken over by my mother, I already have my door open, throwing myself out and without thinking, aware of lack of time, I’m running to the front door.

Knowing better than to just barge in, I press the doorbell over and over again, literally stabbing it to death, impatient and needing to get this over and done with.

Cole is right behind me when the door is swung open.

“You have some nerve—” I trail off as soon as Nicky comes in full view, tears streaming down her face.

Her eyes are red, puffy and wide with horror that stops my heart. I notice the phone pressed tightly to her ear and I know it’s true.

A part of me was hoping, holding on to Liam’s theory about a manipulated photo but now, it’s all true. The reality is right there and can’t be denied anymore.

I glance at Cole, questions brimming in my eye shakes his head, confusion clear in his eyes.

This woman might have lied to Mia about her true role in her life—I mean she did push her out, I bet she kept her mouth shut even then—but I knew she loved Mia. Her tears are not theatrical. She knows Mia’s been taken, but still, why is she here? In Courtney’s house?

“Nicky,” Cole starts, taking the lead, knowing how absolutely useless I am—not to mention my grade-A type