Is that supposed to make this better? Because it doesn’t, Duff. You being my friend was the best part of it all.
The best part of it all.
I’ll never forgive myself for hurting you or making you feel like you weren’t worthy, but how can I regret the stupid stunt that allowed me to get to know you?
I cleared my throat and reminded myself that he deserved my anger. He’dliedto me.
I do love you, Duff, even if that pisses you off.
Well, it did.
Itdidpiss me off, dammit.
“Wait!” I shot out of my chair and rushed after him, pushing through the crowded entryway to reach Connor before he was gone. “Connor!”
I got through the door in time to see him way ahead of me, almost at the end of the block.
“Connor Cunningham!” I yelled, but he was too far away to hear me.
So I started running.
Suddenly I was hightailing it down the sidewalk, dodging other people who were walking as I ran toward him.
“Wait!” I shouted, and then everything kind of happened in a blur all at once.
I got close enough to almost touch him, so I reached out in hopes of stopping him. But he turned at that very moment, just as my foot landed wrong on a sidewalk grate.
The world fell into slow motion as he turned around and his blue eyes met mine in surprise.
As I stumbled and my forward momentum accelerated.
As I went airborne, my body colliding with his before gravity brought us down.
As I laid him out, essentially tackling Connor to the ground.
The slow motion came to a jarring stop when we landed—hard—with my body crushing his into the pavement.
“Oh my God!” I shrieked, looking down at him as our bodies came to a stop. “Are you okay?”
Instantly, I was aware of the fact that he’d just endured a brutal tackle the night before and that a stupid off-day injury could completely destroy his career.
“Is your head all right?” I asked. “Your back?”
I scrambled to sit up and get my weight off him, but I realized that his hand was wrapped around my back, holding me in place.
“I’m fine,” he said, the muscle in his jaw jumping. “You yelled for me to wait, and now I’m definitely waiting. What’s up?”
What’s up?
“You can’t say ‘What’s up?’ like that,” I said, shaking my head, irrationally angry. “Like you’re asking me what I did with my morning when in reality you just said you love me.”
“Is that why you tackled me? Because of what I said?”
“I didn’t tackle you,” I snapped. “I tripped while trying to stop you.”
“Well, I’d say you succeeded,” he said, raising his eyebrows.
“And it’s just so, so…soridiculousthat you’d say those words to me. Like, how dare you?”