Page 19 of Hateful
“Yeah. Just want to—wow, can we slow down? No? Fine. Well, I just wanted to … to let you know I wasn’t trying any gay shit. Y’know? You’ve been acting weird around me so, like, just want to clear the air.”
I listen to him huff and puff beside me as I run, gaining a grim satisfaction from hearing him struggle when this is so easy for me now.
“And when I mentioned what happened to Jasper, he started acting weird too, so—”
My feet get a little tangled at that. I stumble and falter, managing to right myself before I fall flat on my face.He told Jasper?
I can’t help myself.
“Jasper’s been acting weird?” I blurt out the question.
“Yeah.” He doubles over and puts his hands on his knees, panting heavily. “Wow, you’re fast. How come you never tried this hard at lacrosse?”
I don’t answer. I put my hands on my hips and watch him.
“What do you mean, you mentioned it to Jasper?”
“I don’t know, I just said it in passing. We were talking about how weird you’ve been acting, and—”
“You’ve beentalkingabout me?” I demand, outraged. And flattered. No—just outraged. No, actually, flattered. I bury my face in my hands for a brief second.
I thought IwantedThe Brotherhood to keep ignoring me. But if that was truly the case, why does the thought of the three of them chatting about me over breakfast somehow feel … good?
Now Heath is the one looking at me funny. “We talk. We’re friends.”
“What do you guys talk about?”
“All sorts of stuff.”
“I mean, what do you say aboutme?” I stare down at him, and he shrugs as he regains a normal breathing pattern.
Heath straightens to stand upright. “Look, I just wanted to let you know that I wasn’t trying anything on you the other day. That’s all.”
“But why would Jasper be weird about you doing that?” I ask, hoping he doesn’t pick up on the slight quiver in my voice.
“I don’t know, I didn’t ask.”
I’m instantly flooded with relief. From the sounds of it, Jasper hasn’t told him—or I’m guessing anyone else—the secret he discovered just over a month ago now.
I stop and take stock of what I know while Heath finishes catching his breath.
So Jasper knows I’m a girl. He thinks Heath made a pass at me—which he definitely did, joking or not—and is now acting weird.
The momentary relief suddenly starts to dissipate. What Heath’s saying, it doesn’t necessarily sound like a good thing. It’d be good to know if Jasper is about to out me.
At least then I might be a little, I don’t know, prepared? As if anyone could really prepare for that.
“Is he jealous or something?” I ask Heath after a second, when he hasn’t said anything else.
Heath looks away. “I just came out here for one thing.”
“You’re impossible. What are you saying about me?”
“What me and Jasper and Beck talk about isn’t any of your business, actually.”
“So, Beck talks about me too?” I snap.
Heath presses his lips together, but that gives me the answer I wanted.
