Page 66 of My Fault

I exhaled.

“Okay, we live in the same house and I haven’t seen you in a week. I’d say that’s avoiding me.”

Why did I care, though? Hadn’t I had enough trouble with Dan? Why was I going to jump into another relationship when it was evident that nothing good could come out of it?

“I don’t have to report to you. I was busy.”

I felt the blood boiling in my veins.

“Oh yeah? Well, I hope you stay busy for a long time.” I acted like I was about to take off, but he stopped me.

“What are you insinuating?”

I knew my reaction was the exact opposite of the one I should have had. There was no reason for me to care if he was out living his life. Sure, we’d hooked up a few times. Sure, I was attracted to him, and sure, I’d missed him, but that didn’t detract from all the bad things Nicholas represented.

“Nothing,” I replied. Why was I letting him affect me?

“Noah, you should stay away from me,” he warned me.

“Is that what you want?”

“Yeah, it’s what I want.”

I’d be lying if I said his words didn’t hurt. Now everything had been said. I turned away, promising myself I wouldn’t get caught in his web.

But I wasn’t good at keeping promises.

Work was great to keep me out of the house and away from the emotional burden of trying to ignore Nick twenty-four hours a day. One night, Jenna called me and invited me to a late dinner at a Mexican place, and I was dying for ten to come so I could go home and get ready. I took a quick shower and threw on a pair of shorts and a Dodgers shirt someone had given me a long time ago. I was in LA now—where better to wear it? I tied my hair back in a ponytail and didn’t even bother with my makeup.

I was trying not to think of how little time was left until school started or how weird it would be to be surrounded by strangers at a school full of unbearable rich kids. So that night, I was going to have fun.

Someone knocked on my bedroom door right when I finished getting dressed.

“Come in!” I shouted, tying my Converse, assuming it was my mother there to ask how my day had been.

How wrong I was. When it opened, I saw Nick on the threshold. I stared up at him, one shoe still in my hand. He was dressed in jeans, a black T-shirt, and sneakers. His black hair had the same bedhead look as always, and his blue eyes were staring at me coldly.

“What?” I asked, trying as hard as possible not to show him how angry I was.

“I heard you’re coming out with me tonight?” he said in a distant tone.

I crossed my arms.

“Far as I know, I’m going out with Jenna, not you.”

“Funny. I’m going out with Jenna…and Lion…and Anna.” He put a certain emphasis on that last name.

Dammit, Jenna.Why didn’t she tell me? I felt an explosion of jealousy.

“The plan was just to go out and have fun, so fine by me,” I said, tired of arguing with him, tired of kissing and then getting angry with him. It was exhausting. I needed to find a way for us to get along. “Let’s just party and have a good time,” I said, forcing a completely unconvincing smile. His words hurt me, and the fact that he didn’t want to touch me again hurt even more.

He seemed to be thinking over my offer.

“Are you proposing a truce, little sister?” he asked in an odd tone. I couldn’t help knitting my brows hearing those words,little sister.

“Exactly,” I said, putting on my other shoe.

“Great. We can take the same car then.” Before I could protest, he continued, “Jenna told me she can’t pick you up, and it’s dumb to take two cars if we’re going to the same place.”