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

the furthest spot. I rest on the edge, far enough away to keep distance between us.

“I don’t bite.” Delaney smiles.

I slide closer and settle in next to her, handing her a menu. It’s precautionary. More like a distraction. We stare at the words. I don’t need to see her face to know it’s blank. She could recite this menu backwards and forward for me if I asked her to.

“You two done pretending to decide what you want?” Dotty’s voice is music to my awkward-moment ears. Delaney and I lower the menus to see her full smile. “Let me guess, biscuits and gravy to share, two sides of bacon, and scrambled eggs for you”—she takes my menu before shifting her attention to Delaney—“and eggs over easy for you.”

“We aren’t . . .” Delaney points between our bodies, attempting and failing to say we aren’t together anymore.

“It’s biscuits and gravy, sweetheart. Not an arranged marriage. I think you two can handle eating off the same plate, am I right?” Dotty snatches the flimsy menus out of Delaney’s hands and goes to put our order into the kitchen. Before we can ask, two cups of orange juice arrive, Delaney’s with ice and mine without.

Once we’re alone again, Delaney’s gaze shifts around the room, watching the other customers. Her eyes are hollow, like a girl who hasn’t quite been herself in a while. A lost girl.

“There’s nothing out there,” I whisper.

At the intrusion to her silent thoughts, she spins to look at me. “What did you say?”

“Whatever it is you’re searching for, you won’t find it out there. There are no answers. There is no explanation for what happened to you.”

“Nothing happened to me, Breaker. I survived.”

“Then stop acting like you didn’t.”

The lids of her eyes flutter shut, cutting off my access to what’s going on in her mind. She’s like Palmer in that respect. One glance in their eyes, and it’s easy to see what they’re thinking. Their emotions are displayed for the world. It’s a beautiful but dangerous thing for them.

“And here you go.” Dotty slides plate after plate onto the table. The smell of sausage and bacon has my stomach growling. Dotty smiles at the sound. “No one feeding you, boy?”

“Evidently not.” I laugh, grabbing a fork before the final plate is in front of me.

“Enjoy, kids.” Dotty winks and walks away again.

I dive into the biscuits and gravy, shoveling a large piece into my mouth, and groan from the delicious flavors hitting my tongue.

“You better eat up, or else there won’t be any left for you.” I poke my licked-clean fork into Delaney’s untouched silverware.

“How do you do this?” A long sigh follows her question.

“Eat food?” I laugh. “I pick up my fork and bring it to my mouth. Do you need a lesson on chewing next?”

“Don’t be a smartass.” She nudges me, finally going for a bite of the sausage gravy. The fork touches her lips, and I’m suddenly jealous of a piece of metal. “What?” she screeches. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Sometimes I forget how sensual you can make the basic task appear.”

“Shut up.” She knocks her knee into mine. “Be serious for a second.”

“Trust me. You’ve never seen yourself eat before.” I nab some eggs.

“What I mean is, how do you make us being around each other seem so simple?”

“Being around you is the simplest thing I’ve ever done.”

“Even after everything? After how I’ve treated you?”

“No, because of everything. You’re the only person who’s seen the ugliest side of me, Delaney. Sorry for thinking that means something.”

“It does mean something.”

“Yeah, but not enough for you to ditch the rich prick.”

“You’re a rich prick.” She grins.

“You got me there.” Silence takes over for several minutes as we eat, and I can’t help but wonder if that’s how she sees me.

I’ve been called far worse. Her words, and her words alone, can wrap around my spine, digging into parts of me I don’t know exist until it’s too late, and she has a vise grip on me. My fork drops out of my hand and clatters against the plate.

“You know I’m kidding, right?” Her cup freezes, forcing the orange juice to slap against her perfect lips as she holds it to her mouth. She lowers it when I don’t respond. “Breaker, seriously?”

“I’m not perfect, Delaney, but I know I’m far better than that asshole.” I point at her, biting my tongue. Once I’m out of the booth, I take out my phone, and send a text. A hundred-dollar bill from my wallet is tossed on the table. “Enjoy your breakfast.”

“Breaker!” Her voice is full of despair and uncertainty. I fight myself from looking, but in the end, I do. She’s worrying her lip, as if she wants to say something, but when no words leave her mouth, I head to the door.

Dotty sidesteps me, blocking my exit. “Now, don’t tell me you’re leaving that pretty girl in the booth.”

“Give me a hug and let me go,” I demand.

She wraps her arms around my waist and hugs me tight, like a mother would. “Your aunt and sisters were in here the other day,” she whispers against my chest.

I gaze down at her white hair. “How are they?”

“They’d be better if their brother visited.”

“You know I can’t.” I shake my head and glance away, too afraid to see the truth on Dotty’s face.

“And why is that, boy?” She shifts to look at me, knowing damn well I’m full of shit.

“They have her eyes.” I admit the hard truth. Every time I look at them, I see her in parts of them.

“Look in the mirror, darling. So do you.” With her short stature, she has to stand on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. “Don’t be a god damn stranger, you hear me? You can come in here without her, that way we can avoid this awkward running away.”

“She needs a hero.” I tip my chin towards Delaney.

“And let me guess, you don’t have it in you.”

“I’m nobody’s hero.”

“You