Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, #1)(52)

“Me, too,” I added. “Fine, I mean.”

“If you’re sure.” Mrs. Collins collected her shoes and lifted herself off the floor. “I expect the two of you to remain professional in your tutoring sessions. I’ve been extremely pleased with your attendance and progress reports from your teachers, Noah. I see a negative change and I’ll be in the middle before the two of you can say group therapy. Am I making myself clear?”

We both mumbled something and watched her fade into the dark gym.

Noah nuzzled my hair. His warm breath sent shivers down my spine. “Truth, Echo. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I whispered, enjoying the sensation of his lips skimming the back of my neck. “Noah?”

“Yes?” The husky sound of his voice set me on fire.

I hated to end this moment, but … “I need to talk to Luke.”

He tensed then dragged me with him from the floor. “Onetime offer, Echo. You and me, but you’ve gotta dump the ape. I’ll wait outside. You’ve got twenty minutes.”

Noah left me. I stood with my hair half fallen from my mother’s clip, feeling suddenly alone. I unlatched the hook, letting the rest of my hair fall to my shoulders.

As I walked into the gym, I could barely see several feet in front of me. The glittering disco ball created the only light available. Fortunately, my friends found me.

“Oh, my God, Echo. Stephen told me what happened. Are you okay?” Lila grabbed hold of me. My heels dangled in her hand. Natalie and Grace flanked her on either side.

A lump grew in my throat. Would she stand by me? My best friend since kindergarten? She’d stood by me through so much already. If I chose the wrong guy in her eyes, would I destroy the one relationship I absolutely needed?

Grace pushed a few curls out of my face. I’d lose Grace. Definitely Grace, but had we really been friends to begin with?

“Echo?” prodded Natalie. She’d follow Lila. She always followed Lila.

“I need to talk to Lila,” I said. When I saw the hurt in Grace’s and Natalie’s eyes I quickly made something up. “Mom issues.”

Grace and Natalie both gave me encouraging smiles as they turned away. They left any conversation regarding my mother to Lila.

Lila placed her hands on her hips. “I’m not buying the mother card. You’re breaking up with Luke and you want my permission.”

“I’m not ‘in’ with him and I’m not going to be. I can handle losing Luke. I can handle becoming a social reject again, but I can’t handle losing you.”

“Are you falling for Noah Hutchins?” Glinda the Good Witch looked suddenly … serious.

Terror and joy fluttered inside of me. If I chose Noah, I might push Lila too far and destroy the only real friendship I ever had. But the mere thought of Noah’s name made my heart skip beats. It brought a smile to my face. It made my skin tingle for his touch. “Yes.”

She hugged me. “I expect a report on his abs. Real details, not romance novel nonsense.”

“What about Grace and Natalie?”

She sighed heavily, pulling away. “You know Nat will be fine. I’ll take care of Grace, but I’ll expect a picture of his abs for that one. Anyway, only three more months to graduation.”

“Echo?” said Luke from behind me.

Lila kissed my cheek, stuffed my shoes into my hand and left to join Natalie and Grace.

“Luke.” I tugged at my gloves.

He had his dress jacket off with his sleeves rolled up past his elbows. “I’m sorry for running into you. I saw you, but I couldn’t stop.”

“It’s okay.” I shifted from one uncomfortable foot to another, sensing the sand running into the bottom of the hourglass. “Luke …”

“He touched you—Noah. He saw your scars, didn’t flinch, and then he touched them.” Luke rubbed the back of his head. “I’m going to sound like a real dick, but I wouldn’t have been able to do that. Touch them or pretend they weren’t there. I thought I could, but …”

I rubbed my arms. Regardless of the words I’d planned on saying to him, the truth still stung. “Luke, it’s okay, because here’s the truth …” This sucked. “I’m not ‘in’ with you and I’m not going to be. Part of me really wanted us to work, but that’s what we became—work. We didn’t have to work the first time around.”

Luke nodded his head and then lowered it. His shoulders drooped forward and he stared at the floor for a second before wiping his nose. Then he raised his head and straightened to his full height. He forced a grin, but there wasn’t a light in his blue eyes. “Deanna came stag and she was hoping to get a ride in the limo to my house …”

“She can have my spot.” I didn’t need to rub it in that I planned on leaving with Noah.

He took a step toward me and whispered into my ear, “I really did love you.” Leaving out the unsaid word, once.

“Me, too.” Once.





NOAH


I should have thrown her over my shoulder and dragged her from the gym. Instead, like an idiot, I’d given her the choice. The choice to rip my heart out and hand it back to me. Why didn’t I listen to Beth? Why did I listen to Isaiah? Beth had experience down this road and Isaiah gave me advice he refused to take himself. I needed my damn head examined.