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Fucking weird.
“She had a giant crush on Silas the entirety of our sophomore year, but nothing happened. She goes to Italy, comes back, and for whatever reason, believes she still likes him. Despite learning that he’s with Alana now, and that Alana knew Willow had a thing for him. She went after him anyway.” Iris shakes her head. “But we all know this.”
I mean, I didn’t, but okay.
“I’ve been talking trash about Silas constantly, but I started to worry that maybe it was having the opposite effect on her,” Iris explains. “Maybe me constantly bagging on him was only making her want him more.”
“You really think so?” Brooks looks genuinely perplexed. But he’s an only child so that makes sense.
I have a sister and I know how their minds work—sometimes.
“I’m not sure, so I decided to use a different approach,” Iris continues. “After watching them fight, I told Willow this could be her chance to try and get Silas.”
Brooks makes a dismissive noise. “Bro, that sucks. Not like they’re broken up or anything.”
“Did you just call me bro?” Iris’s voice is sharp and whoa there. I can tell she didn’t like him saying that.
“Maybe. I didn’t mean to.” Brooks is scrambling, which Iris seems to enjoy.
“Anyway.” She focuses her attention on me. “Maybe this was her chance to see if they could become something after all, and what do you know, Silas appeared as if I conjured him up myself and now, they’re talking.”
“You really want them to be together?” After that convoluted explanation, I’m thinking Brooks is even more confused.
“No, I don’t. Like you said, Silas is still with Alana. If he really wanted Willow, don’t you think he’d go after her?”
“I don’t know.” I rub along the side of my jaw, contemplating the scenario. Hating that this girl that I actually like is talking to some slimeball who might want her.
“What do you not know?” Iris asks me.
“It’s risky. What if they talk, he realizes he’s madly in love with Willow and then he dumps Alana for her?” That is the absolute last thing I want, but how can I stop it?
In this moment, I can’t.
“I’m hoping Willow is smarter than that. She’ll see through what he’s saying.” Iris’s voice is firm, and she’s nodding, crossing her arms. “I have faith.”
I hope she’s right.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Willow
Silas leads me deeper into the woods, heading toward the beach that’s on the other side of the trees. The air grows cooler and I’m shivering, tugging on the hem of my sweat-shirt and trying to cover my bare skin.
“Can’t we just talk here?” I come to a stop and so does Silas, who turns to face me. He hasn’t said a single thing since we left the party and he looks stressed out.
“Sure, we can.” His tone is easy, but I note the frown that appears on his face when he pulls his phone out of his pocket and checks it. I see the long list of text notifications that appears when his face unlocks the screen and I just know they’re all from Alana. She’s probably looking for him.
I would be too if he was my boyfriend and we just got into a very public argument.
“What do you want to talk about?” I wrap my arms around myself, rubbing my upper arms to try and generate some heat.
“It’s just—it’s been so weird for me and Alana since you came back,” he admits.
I go completely still at his confession. I’m barely even breathing, I’m so shocked.
“Over the summer we had a great time. We got really close, really fast and she was so much fun. Now, we come back to campus and I thought things would be perfect. Even better because there are no parents around, you know? Instead, she’s acting jealous over you all the time and constantly bringing you up. Then we start fighting and it spirals out of control.” He shakes his head.
I gape at him, shocked he would say all of that. “Why are you bringing me into your relationship?”
