Page 99 of The Space Between Heartbeats
“Sunny, I was looking for you.” He scans my face, flushed cheeks, tears threatening to spill out. “Whoa, hey. What’s wrong? Are you okay? Are you crying?”
“No, I…” I hesitated, too wrecked to make up a lie on the spot.
His gaze moved past me to the storage room door, still cracked open. Then back to me, and I watched understanding start to dawn. “What were you doing back here?”
“I got lost looking for the bathroom.”
Knox came out the door behind me, I felt him before I saw him. He didn’t even glance in our direction, the prick just walked past us like we’re invisible.
Owen watched him go, his jaw going tight. Then he looked back at me, eyes wide with concern.
My hair was messed up. My dress was wrinkled. I’m shaking and could barely catch my breath. Yeah, he knew some shit just went down.
“What happened?” His voice dropped low, in a way I had never heard from him before. “What did he do to you?”
“Nothing. We just…We got into an argument. About my dad. About the whole mess. It’s fine.”
“You’re about to cry.” He reached out and caught a tear. Once that fell, I couldn’t stop the others from following. Hot angry tears slid down my cheeks, betraying me in front of Owen.
“I’m just tired and drunk and I want to go home.”
Owen’s hands moved to cup my face, so gentle, the complete opposite of how Knox was touching me. “Sawyer. Did he hurt you?”
Yes.
“No,” I lied. “He’s just an asshole. Can you please just take me to my car?”
He studied my face for a long moment, clearly not believing a word, but he nodded anyway.
“Yeah. Come on.”
We said our goodbyes to Hailey and her husband, and walked out to the parking lot. Both of us were silent, but Owenkept glancing at me like he wanted to say something, I’m grateful he didn’t.
Not until we reached my car at least. He turned to face me under the lamppost.
“Whatever Knox said to you in there…whatever he did to hurt you, he’s wrong and an asshole. He’s angry and he’s lashing out, and you’re an easy target, but that doesn’t make it okay.” He stepped closer. “But I’m not like that, Sawyer. I don’t care about the scandal. I don’t care what your father did. I only care about you.”
I didn’t know what to say. He was right, of course. I knew Owen was nothing like Knox, but why was he telling me all that now?
“I’ve been wanting to ask you this for a while,” he continued, taking my hands in his. “But with everything going on, I didn’t want to add pressure. But I think we could be really good together. If you’d give us a chance. Let me take you out. A real date, just us.”
Say no. Tell him that I’m not ready, that he deserves so much better than whatever I am right now.
But then Knox’s cruel voice echoed through my mind.You can’t have me. I haven’t decided if you’re worth the trouble.
Fine. If Knox wanted to be vicious, if he wanted to use me and throw me away, then I’d choose Owen. I’d choose someone who actually wants me. Who’s kind and good and doesn’t play games designed to break my heart.
“Okay,” I said, forcing the corners of my lips up. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
Owen’s face transformed, his smile so hopeful it made my chest ache. “Yeah? Really?”
“Really.”
He kissed me softly, like I was something to be treasured, and I kissed him back, even though my body was still hummingwith need for someone else. Even though I could still feel Knox’s fingers inside me, could still hear him telling me I didn’t deserve to come.
Even though I knew, somewhere deep down, that I was making a mistake.
But Knox made his choice when he walked away, so I made mine.
