Page 12 of This I Promise You
He steps closer to me. He’s shorter but not by much. Maybe five-eight if I had to guess. Either way he has to look up at me, which makes me chuckle. Pure, unadulterated anger flashes in his eyes at the same time that I smell something citrusy yet spicy. It actually smells good. Maybe his cologne? Either way, that just tells me he’s way too damn close. But I’m not backing away now. His puny ass doesn’t scare me.
“What did you say?” he asks. His brows are nearly lost in his eyes with shock and bewilderment and…fury.
I step close enough that he is obscured by my shadow and whisper, “I said back thefuckup and get outta here before youdeeplyregret it.”
The lump in his throat drops and rises again. Not so tough after all, huh?
“Don’t worry. I’m gone.” He sneers and shoots around me, never looking back.
I follow him with my eyes and say, “Good.”
“Good!” he yells back without turning around and flips me off, again.
I watch him leave before I remove my phone from its arm strap to text Huxley.
PAUL: ur friend from uptown slam is a fucking dick wad!!!!!
HUXLEY: Easton?
PAUL: idk his name but i can’t stand his bitch ass
HUXLEY: What did he do?
PAUL: he’s just an asshole! does he have to do anything to be an asshole?
HUXLEY: Generally, yeah.
PAUL: he’s rude and disrespectful and so mf full of himself. he’s cute and he knows it and he thinks he’s better than everyone else. i don’t know why, but he just fucking pisses me tf off. just looking at him makes me want to VOM
HUXLEY: Drama queen, you are.
HUXLEY: So you think he’s cute?
HUXLEY: You sure YOU weren’t the asshole?
HUXLEY: Cause you’re kinda an asshole, Paul.
PAUL: fuck you too then
HUXLEY: Love you!
Easton
2 on 2
“Oh! I almost forgot.” Aidan’s eyes go wide and he points at me. “This idea just hit me today. So, like, hear me out now.”
“O-kay.” I’m worried now. No conversation started like that has ever gone well, like ever. Especially in the middle of the Student Union over bagels. “Why not?”
“So, my mamá’s single, right?” He waves his hands at me until I nod and squint. “And your dad is single, too, right?”
Is he seriously going where I think he is? “Yeah.” Again.
“So we should hook them up. We’d be brothers!”
“Okay, first off, ew.” I shiver. It’s just weird. “And second, ew.”
“What’s wrong with my mamá?” Aidan slumps his shoulders but keeps his grin.
