My Forbidden Guy - Liz Lovelock Page 0,3
something special, but now it’s ended and all because he’s my brother’s friend. It hasn’t been a problem for the last couple of months and all those nights I spent with him.
Staring around at people and their happy, smiling faces, I want to slap them and say, “How can you be happy when I can’t be?” I hate them and their stupid cheerfulness.
“Hey, Pais.” Addison’s chirpy voice pulls me back to reality. I turn to her. Her face scrunches with concern. “What’s wrong?”
Her backpack falls to the pavement, and she sits beside me. Her arm comes around my shoulders and pulls me into her. I can’t help my tears now; they pour and don’t stop. My hands come to my face to hide my emotions from onlookers.
“What’s going on?” Parker’s voice is full of concern.
If he finds out it’s about one of his friends, there’s no telling what he’ll do. Most likely, he’ll turn into a full overprotective big brother.
Clearing my throat, I pull my heavy head from Addison’s shoulder and look up at Parker. “I’ve got some painful women cramps.” I swipe away the fresh tears that drop onto my cheeks as the lie slips easily from my mouth. Addison holds me tightly against her. I think she knows I’m lying.
Parker shifts his feet uncomfortably. “Well, ah, okay. Addison, I’ll catch up with you later.” He leans over, and I hear them kiss—I don’t dare look. More water fills my eyes as I remember I won’t be able to kiss Dane anymore. From the way he made me feel in those special moments between us, I thought he’d try harder to make us work. Well, we had been working, but now it’s over.
“What’s really going on?” she whispers in my ear.
I stand. “I don’t want to talk about it here.”
“Okay.” Addison hooks her arm through mine, collects her bag, and starts pretty much dragging me along with her.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“Back to my dorm, and you’re going to spill the beans on what’s wrong.”
How can I argue with her?
She pushes open her door and pulls me through the doorway. My entire body slowly loses feeling. My mind and body are numb. Dane has officially broken the usually happy Paislee. He’s taken away the one thing I constantly crave—him.
Addison eases me onto the couch. Then, she walks away from me, only to return moments later with a box of tissues and all the junk food she could, apparently, find in the dorm.
I raise my eyebrows. “What, do you keep a special box with all this type of stuff in it?” I ask, my voice not sounding like my own.
She chuckles. “We have a sugar shelf in the pantry. We each buy something to go on there every week. It’s our emergency stash for breakups, exam weeks, our monthly visitors, you name it.” She pauses for a second, and her stare makes me shift in my seat. “What’s going on?”
Her question suffocates me. If I say it, then it makes it too real. I don’t want it to be.
Her door swings open, and Elsie flies in like a woman on a mission, dropping her bag by the door then kicking it shut. The slam is enough for me to jump.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so glad I found you both. Are you alright, Pais?” She rushes to my side. Her breaths heavy like she ran the whole way here.
I cock an eyebrow. “Were you looking for me?”
“Yes. I was just at the boys’ house when Dane came barreling through the door. He looked like he wanted to pick a fight with Aiden.”
Addison sucks in a sharp breath behind me.
My hand flies to my mouth. “Did he tell you what he was angry about?”
She nods, a solemn expression on her face. “I’m so sorry, Pais. You watch; he’ll come to his senses. He just needs to wake up to himself and tell Parker, then all will be good.”
Addison stands. “Wait, what? Did something happen between you and Dane?”
The stone is lodged back in my throat, and tears fill my eyes. “He said it was for the best. I mean, can you believe that? Am I not good enough anymore? I would have spoken to Parker. Sure, he might have been angry at the start, but I’m sure he would have gotten over it.” The words spew from my mouth.
Addison parks her bum on the coffee table and takes my hands in hers. “Girl, it’s his loss. He’s the one not seeing