Rumor Has It (Rumor Has It #1)(24)

The audacity of this guy. I mean, I know who I'm waiting for, but he doesn't. I could be waiting for Jen or another friend who's a girl. Or I could be gay. He doesn't know.

“Who said it was a ‘he’?”

His eyes pop open, and I can't help the small smile that slips my lips. "Oh … she?"

I shake my head, looking at the ground. “Not that it’s any of your business, but no. Not she. It’s a he. Now, would you please get out of here.”

He rolls his eyes with a smile but doesn’t move his feet. “Wow, he’s gonna have his hands full.”

“Oh my God.” I fold my arms across my chest. “You are such a jerk, you know that?”

There’s silence for a moment as I sit there. He mumbles something that sounds like sorry, but I can’t understand it. Plus, why would he act all hurt?

“What?”

“I said, I’m sorry.” Again, the candid look crosses his face.

“Why? For not leaving?”

“Jeez, I’m trying to be the better person here, Emma.” He sounds exasperated and shoves his hands in his pockets.

I scoff. “Better person? That’s a laugh. You’re just a dumb jock.”

"Well, I have the best grade in our history class, and I have a 3.95 GPA this year. So, no, I'm not dumb."

My eyes shoot up to meet his, a sudden honesty there. “You keep track of your GPA?”

“Yeah, well,” he shrugs, looking away. “I’m trying to get straight A’s this year.”

I pull out my cell phone again. Twenty minutes. A small pit of despair starts to form in my stomach. Had he shown up, taken a look at me and walked away? Oh no! What if he showed up while Carter's been here and didn't want to interrupt us, thinking we're … something.

“Carter.” My voice comes out softer and vulnerable. “Please, can you just leave?”

Hoping against hope that he at least has a heart, I wait for his feet to move. They don't. "You must really like this guy."

“And why would you say that?”

"Well, I mean, you're insulting me like crazy, and you keep urging me to get the hell out of here. But lunch is half over."

“Exactly, so you need to leave.”

"Yo!"

Someone yells, and my head spins around to see who it is. A guy runs across the courtyard, meeting up with his friends. My eyes find Carter's and he gives me a suspicious look. I can't keep the disappointment from spreading across my face.

“Guess that’s not him.”

“Carter, I’m starting to hate you more than I did before.”

“You seem like a very hateful person.” He chuckles.

“I’m not!” I argue, before letting out a sigh. “I don’t need to explain myself to you.”

“That’s true, I guess.” He lifts his shoulders and elation jumps into my heart as I watch his feet move. He’s finally going to leave. Then, as quickly as the excitement hits me, it zooms on by, giving me the middle finger, as Carter slumps down and sits next to me.

“What. Are. You. Doing?” My words come out slow, as I grind my teeth.

“Sitting,” he says, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out what looks like a protein bar. He nods to me with a smile, unwrapping it and taking a bite.

“Uh, no. Absolutely not. You need to leave.”

“Why?” He takes another bite, before looking around. “It doesn’t look like anyone else is gonna show up.”

The words sting. My face drops as I look around the courtyard. The couple that was sitting in front of me has left. There are a few other people, and they seem to be on their way out too. Tears prick the back of my eyes. No, I'm not going to cry in front of Carter Dixon. Besides, lunch isn't over yet. Maybe he got distracted, or detention or a teacher wanted to talk to him. It could be anything. But in my heart, the sad truth is starting to form. He isn't going to show.

As if sensing my discomfort, Carter gets to his feet.

“Sorry, I’ll leave you alone.”

His voice is soft. It’s comforting. But it doesn’t help the pain that’s stabbing my heart.





Chapter 17





Carter





What did I do? I wanted to try and be charming or flirty. I wanted to try and make her laugh and then be all, ‘Surprise, it’s me!’, but it completely backfired. The more time went by, the more she looked around, waiting for him—me—to show up. And the last comment did it.

I didn't mean to say it like a jerk. I was leading to something. I was going to say, ‘It doesn't look like anyone is going to show up' and as she looked, I would say something. Anything. But it all went out the window as she looked around and I saw what looked like her heart break. Shatter. It looks like she's going to cry, and I feel like the biggest dickhead ever. How did I mess it up so bad?

I stare down at her in her derailed state. In class, even when she’d hurl death stares at me, she had this life about her. Vibrant. And thinking about it, that’s how her messages come across. Even sitting here, in her defeated state, she’s beautiful. I have to do something. I can’t just let her sit here, thinking I stood her up.