Off Limits by Honey London

Author:Honey London [London, Honey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

6

Jackson

“So tell me about these new friends of yours.”

Christian rotated a piece several times before popping it into the puzzle. “What friends?”

“I don’t know. Mom said you’ve been staying out late, not coming home… sounds to me like you have some new friends.”

Christian wouldn’t meet my eyes. He picked up another piece and expertly pressed it into place. He was infinitely better at them than I was, even as kids he’d had more patience and skill for puzzles, but it was something he loved doing together and I would watch paint dry if it would make him happy.

I tossed a puzzle piece across the table at him. When he looked up, I grinned. “Maybe a girlfriend? Or a boyfriend?”

His cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink and he scowled, pushing his glasses up with a single finger. “No, they’re just some people from school.”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Christian and I could never be together, I reminded myself of that gut-wrenching fact every day. Somewhere inside me I knew he’d probably find himself in a relationship at some point, but the idea of him kissing anyone but me sat like a cinderblock in my stomach.

Christian had never made friends easily, which was always fine with me because then I had him all to myself. Imagining him talking to strangers because he didn’t have me anymore broke my heart.

“Like, from your classes?”

He shook his head. “Todd and Bobby.”

Oh, fuck no. Those two assholes were another set of identical twins. When Christian and I had first started at Bevins freshman year, they were in our dorm and assumed two sets of twins would automatically become best friends. They were more interested in parties and girls than getting an education, so needless to say, we hadn’t gotten all that close.

“Are you kidding?”

He shrugged. “I ran into Todd at the library a few months ago.”

“Ugh. But they’re so vile. You’re so much better than they are, Chrissy.”

He looked down at his hands, fidgeting with a puzzle piece. “I was lonely.”

Christ, every time I thought I couldn’t feel worse for what I’d done, Christian was there, his simple honesty driving another nail into my heart.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was tiny.

“Hey, look at me. No. I’m sorry I left you here. Never did I dream you’d be desperate enough to hang out with Tobby.”

Christian giggled at the nickname we’d given them one night several years before. Then, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I remembered something my mom had said.

“Chrissy,” I made my voice as even as I could, “did someone hit you?”

The smile was gone from his face as quickly as it had come and he was back to refusing to meet my eye.

Freshman year, Christian and I quickly found out that the twins got super violent when they were drunk, which happened to be all the time. They mostly seemed to enjoy beating on each other, but the first and only time I saw either of them make a move too quickly in Christian’s direction, we were done.

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