Page 13 of Save Your Breath

I knew he saw me more like an annoying little sister than anything else.

After that video was posted, gossip sites ran wild with the quotes from Isabella’sinside sourcesaying that I was unbothered by Garrett Orange’s article because the points he’d made were laughable, considering I was happily in a relationship with Aleks.

Then came the fans with theories and timelines — one in particular that was gaining speed and quickly going viral. We hadn’t even planned this one, but she’d put together a very convincing argument that Aleks and I had been secretly dating since February, and that Aleks had been the first person I’d run to after the breakup with Austin last summer.

She even asked at the end of her video if her followers thought that maybe there was something therebeforethe breakup?

It wasn’t just a little match strike and a slow burning candle flame of a rumor.

No, already it was a forest fire, roaring and spreading faster than we could handle.

Isabella assured me all was fine. She was glued to her phone as she kissed both my cheeks and left earlier, and I trusted her when she told me she had it handled.

But now, in the quiet of my home that was far too large for just me, I couldn’t help but prickle with anxiety.

I didn’t want to lose my grip on the situation — not when I already had so little control of what people said about me. This was a narrative we were creating, one I had the power to curate.

And I knew exactly what I needed to feel better.

Drying my hands on the plush white towel, I grabbed my phone.

Me:We need ground rules.

It only took a few seconds for the little dots to start bouncing, and then a reply came through.

Aleks:And this is a text that couldn’t wait until morning? It’s 2AM, Strings.

I cursed. I hadn’t thought about the time difference before shooting off that message.

I also couldn’t fight the way my stomach somersaulted at the familiar nickname. It didn’t matter how many times he’d called me that since we were sixteen. Every time he did, I felt my cheeks heat just like they had that first time.

Me:Well, for how quickly you answered, I assume you weren’t sleeping. Did I interrupt the porn video playing on your phone?

Aleks:More like the live action porn in my living room.

I scoffed, but something sour sank into my gut at the sight of those words. I was fairly certain he was kidding.

But I was also fairly certain that hecouldhave a porno playing out in his condo any time he wanted it.

Aleks:Why do we need rules?

Me:Because this thing is already tailspinning, and I want to make sure we’re on the same page with everything.

Aleks:That’s my Mia. Trying to control the uncontrollable.

My Mia.

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen those words or heard them from his mouth, but they still sliced me open just the same.

I was never his. I never really would be.

And I was pretty sure he was doing all of this out of pure pity and boredom.

Me:First of all, you have to clean up. You’re a nightmare to deal with when you’re drunk.

The little dots appeared again, indicating that he was typing a response, but then they disappeared. They popped up once more, but then were gone again.

Then, the phone rang, Aleks’s face filling the screen.