Semua Bab When Best Friends Kiss: Bab 11 - Bab 20

(RORY’S POV) It’s ten at night, and even though the house is silent, my head is full of overwhelming thoughts . Rosalie is away at college, preparing for an upcoming play. She pleaded with me to come along, but I couldn't bear the thought of putting on a brave face. With my phone off, I was staring at the ceiling, tracing the patterns in the plaster like a map of all the ways I’d messed up. I was so deeply submerged in my thoughts that the sharp tap-tap-tap against my window pane made me jolt, my heart leaping into my throat. Then I saw him, and my world froze. Silhouetted against the night, holding onto my window frame, was Todd. The guilty, desperate look on his beautiful face was illuminated by the soft glow of my bedside lamp. My breath hitched. I scrambled out of bed and yanked the window open, the cool night air rushing in. “What are you doing? This is dangerous! You could easily fall,” I hissed, my voice a frantic whisper. “Why didn’t you use the front door?” I folded my

(RORY’S POV) The lightness I'd felt with Todd evaporated the moment Jason swaggered into view with that annoyingly satisfied smile plastered on his face. My expression soured instantly at the sight of him and my stomach clenched tightly. Having absolutely no intention of entertaining his drama, I pointedly pulled out my phone, pretending to scroll through my social feed while my pulse hammered in my throat. I knew that he was not here to make me feel better. “Are you trying to Ignore me?” He asked with a sneer. “I just don’t want to talk to you.” I surprised myself by saying. My voice was soft but it sounded firm at the same time. There was a moment of silence and then. "You can pretend all you want, but you're in this mess because of me, that’s why I tried to tell you earlier that you should not try to get back at me.” he declared, as if this was some kind of victory. A sharp jab of disgust flashed through me as I met his eyes. What had I ever seen in someone like him? He'

RORY’S POVMonday morning arrived with a jarring brightness and an unwelcome speed.Yes, unwelcome because a knot of anxiety and nervousness tightened in my stomach at the thought of facing the day.Why the dread?For a multitude of reasons, the first being the persistent rumors swirling through school.I couldn't help but send a silent plea skyward, hoping, truly hoping, that the whispers had finally faded. Last week had been a gauntlet of unpleasant and deeply uncomfortable encounters.Then there was Leslie. Another person firmly on my "avoid at all costs" list for the week. Either she genuinely didn't care about my existence, or I had become a master of strategic dodging. Last week was a constant surveillance operation, tracking her movements to ensure our paths never crossed.I desperately wanted to avoid any chance of bumping into her. Each time the gossip about me reached my ears, Leslie's name was often laced with chilling undertones. It wasn't just hearsay; I knew it to be tru

(RORY’S POV) My entire body went rigid with a frustrated sigh catching in my throat. Of course. Of all the people to run into here, it had to be Jason. His messenger bag was slung carelessly over one shoulder, and he clutched two thick textbooks in his arms like a shield. That now-familiar, mocking smirk was plastered on his face as his eyes did a slow, deliberate scan of me from head to toe. I clutched my own books tighter to my chest, a nervous anchor in this sudden discomfort I was feeling. "What do you want, Jason?" I asked, my voice colder than I felt. "You never cease to amaze me, Rory," he said, his tone dripping with false admiration. "Just look at this. I didn't expect to see you here, of all places. Not after everything that's happened. I figured you'd be hiding under your bed." "I can go to the library whenever I want," I said, my words sharp and icy. "Excuse me." I tried to step around him, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. But he moved with me, foll

(TODD’S POV) As I pulled away from Rory’s house, the sweet scent of her vanilla lotion clung to my car, a ghost of her presence that fueled my intentions. My knuckles were bone-white on the steering wheel as I drove. The Anderson house was easy to remember and locate despite the fact that I have not been there in a very long time— the house was a modern mansion of glass and steel, with a lawn so perfect it looked like a painting of a little golf course. The mansion was the kind of place that screamed 'new money, no problems.' Chad's Mustang sat in the circular driveway parked beside a cyber truck, looking right at home. A butler led me inside, leaving me with a drink in the grand foyer that I had no intention of touching. I hadn't been here in ten years, not since my parents forced me to attend the endless birthday parties of every kid in Daisyland. Chad and I had never been friends; we were just two guys forced to share a court, only speaking when the first co captain was absent