Broken Beautiful Hearts(98)

“It’s an unknown number. You can’t call back.”

“I want to listen to the messages.” Cam motions for me to give him the phone.

I hand it over. “Delete them when you’re done.”

Christian slides toward the middle of the seat, and Cam angles the phone so they can both listen.

Grace pouts. “I want to hear, too.”

“We could put it on speaker,” Cam suggests.

“No!” Grace and I shout at the same time.

The Twins huddle in the back seat, cussing and whispering to each other.

“Peyton? How many of these did you listen to?” Cam asks after a few minutes.

“Just the first one. Why?”

“We’re on number three. Wait.” Cam looks at his brother. “Is he crying?”

Christian nods. “Oh, yeah. He’s definitely crying. Or he’s faking it. It’s hard to tell. I mean, I don’t cry, so I’m not an expert. What do you think, Cam?”

“Why are you asking me? I don’t cry, either. But it sounds like that’s what he’s doing.”

I lean my head against the window. It’s too much.

By the fourth voice mail, Christian and Cameron are perched on the edge of the seat with the phone angled so Grace can hear at least some of the message. If Owen hadn’t just lost the championship … if he didn’t have a heart condition and if I weren’t staring at my RoboCop brace … this might be funny.

“Okay, number six is the best. The best meaning the worst,” Christian tells me. “He’s playing a song.”

“I don’t want to know.”

“You don’t,” Grace assures me. “Oh my gosh, you guys. Get that away from my ear. I can’t take it.”

“I bet he’s gonna start singing it himself in number seven,” Cam says.

Christian scratches his head. “He might switch it up and play a new one.”

“Bet you fifty bucks he sings it himself, whatever it is.”

Christian nods. “You’re on.”

I have no idea what was on message seven—if Reed did or didn’t sing, or pledge his undying love—because that’s when I break down.





CHAPTER 39

A Different Kind of Heartbreak

OWEN DOESN’T SHOW up at school the next day. Not that I expected him to after the beating he took last night.

It’s Friday and everyone is pumped for the football game tonight. The players are wearing their jerseys and the cheerleaders are dressed in their uniforms. Half the student body is sporting bright blue greasepaint on their faces.

I sit in my classes like a zombie.

My teachers must notice because they leave me alone. The Weasel lets the whole class period go by without calling on me.

After lunch, I get a text from Owen.

Can we talk? Meet me in the library after school.

I watch the clock for the rest of the day.

When the last bell finally rings, I take the back stairwell up to the library. I stand in the hall outside the door for ten minutes before I’m brave enough to face Owen.

He lied to me, but now he knows that I lied to him, too.

But my lie cost him his dream.

What are you supposed to do when the one thing that gave you hope is gone?

The librarian is busy checking in books, and she smiles when I pass her desk.

Owen is waiting in the stacks where we’ve eaten lunch together so many times. He’s sitting on the blue carpet with his back against the wall. His face is cut and bruised and it hurts to look at him.

“Hi.” He sees me and the expression on his face breaks my heart into a hundred pieces.

“Hi.” My voice is hoarse from yelling at the fight last night. Or maybe it’s from crying.

I sit on the floor in front of him—close enough so that nobody will overhear us talking, but far enough away to stop myself from throwing my arms around him.

Owen’s knuckles are wrapped in gauze and he pulls the frayed ends. “I’m sorry for what I said after the fight.”

“That you weren’t the only person hiding something?” My eyes flicker to his face. “Don’t be sorry. It’s the truth.”

“I saw the look on your face when I said it. I hurt you.” He frowns and a deep crease cuts between his brows. “You’ve already been hurt too much.”

I inch closer to him, leaving space between us. “I shouldn’t have lied to you, but I didn’t want anyone to know. After it happened, I felt so helpless. I didn’t want to feel that way when I came here.”

“That’s part of the reason why I didn’t tell anyone about my heart. If that makes any sense.” He hesitates. “Will you tell me what happened? I need to know.”

I close my eyes and nod.

When I open them again, Owen moves over to sit closer to me.

“There isn’t much to tell. Reed started doping behind my back and I didn’t realize it for months. We were at a party and I found his stash in his car. I confronted him outside. There was no one around. Thinking back on it now that probably wasn’t the smartest idea.”

Owen takes my hand. “A girl shouldn’t have to worry about getting into an argument with a guy if they’re alone. You didn’t do anything wrong.”