Glass Heart Hero: A Dark High School Romance by Lindsey Iler (read with me .TXT) 📗

so linked together, I’m not sure I can do that.”

“Then I’m not sure I can do this.” I shake my head, putting a foot on the ground.

Tripp’s hand wraps around my bicep. He squeezes it harshly, as if he doesn’t already have my attention. “This shit with your father isn’t my problem, Delaney. I can’t jeopardize the relationship I have with him, so that you can act like a child.”

My eyes shift between his and his vise grip. My body wiggles to find relief. “You’re hurting me, Tripp.”

He drops his hand as if he’s been burnt. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you want from me.”

“That makes two of us.” I slide out, escaping into the cool air.

I run inside the dorm without a backward glance. There’s no reason to look because there isn’t anything left for me there.

The silence in the hall is shattered when my phone buzzes with an incoming text. I don’t care who it is. A quiet dorm room is what I need right now, a place to clear my mind and decide what I want in life.

I fall on the mattress and cover my eyes with my arm, blocking out the light. When I move it away, a piece of paper on my refrigerator, held up by a magnet, catches my eye. Rolling off the bed, I walk over and take it down.

Thought you could use this. Check your freezer. Love you! Palmer

I open the door and see pint after pint of my favorite ice creams. I wrap my hand around the chocolate chip cookie dough and grab a spoon, prepared to drown my sorrows in milky deliciousness.

Chapter Nine

Breaker

“Where’d you disappear to after the party?” Palmer catches me in the kitchen before I can sneak out. This is the exact conversation I’d hoped to avoid. “You disappeared Saturday, too.”

Palmer is too inquisitive. She knows when something is off with one of us. I used to be able to slink through the house, moping around, and none of the guys would notice my change in mood. Then we forced our way into her life, and now, she won’t allow anyone to leave an emotional stone unturned.

“I’m running late,” I lie, pointing toward the front door.

“Where you going?” She smiles.

“To study.” Again, another lie.

Palmer looks at the watch Marek had forced me to help him pick for her. “Delaney usually goes for a run this time of morning.”

Her eyes slip down my body, checking out the gym shorts and hoodie I’m wearing. They finally land on my tennis shoes.

“Your point?” I shrug, opening the fridge to grab a bottle of water.

“It’s an observation,” Palmer scoffs. “After the way she stormed out of the party the other night, I figured things didn’t end well with you.”

“Oh, they didn’t.” I smirk, gloating at the fact that I’d managed to dig under Delaney’s skin.

“Breaker!”

“You know how you and Marek are a little fucked up?” I nod, understanding my logic and not caring if anyone else does. “You’re cruel to each other, or at least you used to be, and find some kind of comfort in torturing the other.”

“Your point?” Palmer leans on the counter.

“Delaney and I are kind of like that, except we aren’t willing to acknowledge it. Instead, we play tit for tat. She pretends to not want me. I pretend to hate her.”

“But you don’t hate each other, and she sure as hell wants you.”

“It doesn’t matter because we’re like oil and water. She’s Stepford Wife material, and I’m the gardener looking into her life.”

“You’re richer than most, Breaker. You aren’t exactly the help.”

“My pockets are lined with money. My soul, though, it’s filled with dirt.”

“So, how long are we going to be experiencing the two of you and this little dance?”

“I’m going to break her.” I wink, leaving Palmer in the middle of the kitchen.

“Thought you’d like to know she texted me last night. Seemed awfully upset!” Palmer yells before I’m too far away not to hear her.

Instead of acknowledging her, I head outside to my car, my mind wondering over what made Delaney so upset.

When I get to campus, a welcomed silence moves with the air, rustling the leaves. The snow has already started to melt. The nip in the air proves it’s going to be short lived. I park outside the gymnasium. My head falls against the leather headrest, and I listen to the quiet music on the radio.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I grin as soon as my eyes hit the window. Delaney is on the other side of the glass, her arms crossed over her chest and the cutest grimace on her face. She slashes her finger down, a demand to lower my window.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she asks before it’s fully open.

“Thought I could use some extra conditioning,” I respond, killing the engine.

Before Delaney can protest, I roll up the window and climb out. She shuffles backwards, giving me space. For several minutes, we carry on the most ridiculous standoff. I start to stretch, enjoying the burn of my muscles.

I pretend I don’t see the red-rimmed eyes she’s sporting, already knowing she had a rough day yesterday, according to her best friend.

“I don’t have to justify why I’m here. You don’t own this campus, so if I want to run, then I will. If you have a real problem with it, then I suggest you use the indoor track.”

“Whatever,” she groans.

I jog around her, heading towards the west part of campus. Tennis shoes hitting pavement echo behind me. With my eyes locked forward, I smile.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.” She settles into a pace beside me.

“I’m running. Lacrosse is kicking my ass. I’d like to not be panting down the field.”

“Try not smoking. That should help.”

“Well, then, how will I survive our blessed little encounters?”

“You need to get high to talk to me?”

“Oh, sweetheart, it helps. You should try it sometime.” I laugh, veering off on one of the trails that loops around campus.

“I don’t smoke.”

“Add that to