Deep (Heavy Hearts Book 2) by Sarah Duncan (reading tree txt) 📕

was the last time you punched the bag?” He’s studying me, and it’s making me squirm.

“4am this morning.”

His brows shoot up, “That’s pretty early, or really late depending on the way you look at it. Shouldn’t you have been asleep?”

“Sure, if sleep is easy to come by,” I admit.

“You aren’t sleeping?” He looks concerned, his bushy brows pulling together.

“It depends on the day.” I’m being vague on purpose because I don’t want to talk about it. Next, he’ll be asking about my nightmares and a whole heap of bullshit that is no one’s business but mine.

“What happens on the days you can’t sleep?” He asks, and I sigh.

“Can I go?”

“Not yet. Let’s chat a little more.” He’s being sterner today, and I don’t like it.

“I really don’t want to. Haven’t you figured that out by now?” I shoot him a glare, but he only grins.

“How about a change in conversation?” He suggests.

“Okay. How’s Amy going? You two getting hot and heavy yet?” I cross my arms over my chest and grin.

“Deflecting won’t help Lexi.”

“Will walking out? Because I’m happy to do that.” He’s going to get sick of me and kick me out eventually, right?

“I hear you’ve made some new friends. That must be nice.”

“Good deflection Stephen.” My quick comeback makes him chuckle.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” He asks, and I frown.

“What business is that of yours?”

“It’s none of my business, but I thought that might be a happy topic to talk about.”

“You’re shit out of luck there, Mr Matthews. That topic is nothing but heartbreak.” I don’t mean to reveal that. It just comes out on its own as if someone else is talking. I realise then that it's my heart talking and not my brain.

“So you have an ex-boyfriend?” He’s tried to broach this subject with me before, but I pretended to be interested in girls. Why is this line of questioning even necessary? And why did he have to make me think about Ayden again?

“Yes. No. I don’t know.” I look at my hands fidgeting in my lap.

“What’s his name?”

“You don’t need to know his name.” I snap, and he nods.

“Okay. How old is he?”

“He’s eighteen.”

“An older guy, hey? Does he go to this school?” The bell goes indicating the end of recess, and I’m about ready to flee.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” That’s the truth too. I have no idea if Ayden is coming back to Fox Pines.

“What did he do to break your heart, Lexi?”

I hesitate, feeling the burn of tears in the back of my eyes. I don’t want to cry. I take a moment to fight them off, and when it lessens, I respond, “He didn’t do anything. It was me that ruined his life. Tainted it with the sick world I live in. He’s better off without me.”

Mr Matthews frowns, “Does he agree with that?”

A knock sounds at the door and Mr Matthews calls out, “Hold on a minute, please.”

I stand ready to escape this man and his questions.

“Lexi, wait.” He stands as well, looking serious. I raise a blonde brow waiting for him to continue.

“Next time you feel so angry that you need to explode, I want you to come straight to my office.”

“If I do that, Mr Matthews, then I’ll be in here all day.” I ignore whatever he says after that and swing the door open to leave, but then I freeze.

My entire body heats, from my toes to the tip of my head, when I come face to face with eyes as blue as a summer sky. Ayden Mitchell, my Ayden Mitchell, is standing in front of me.

I want to speak, or yell, or cry, or do something, but I’m frozen on the spot drowning in those familiar eyes that draw me in and hypnotise me.

“Oh, hi, Ayden. Come on in.”

Ayden’s eyes flick over my shoulder to Mr Matthews and then back to mine. I wait for him to say something, but he doesn’t.

“Ayden mate, you’ll need to step aside so Lexi can leave.” Mr Matthews says, unaware of what’s going on before him.

The longer we stare at each other, the more anger that turns those piercing blue eyes into a storm. That’s okay though, I’m all about angry right now too. I step forward, not waiting for him to move, and I push past him, nudging my shoulder into his side on my way out of the room.

Part of me wants to go back and leap into his arms. Another part of me wants to scream in his face and let out all the hurt that surrounds my heart. The part that wins, though, is the part of me that feels the need to flee. I consider going home, but I’m too scared. What if Mike’s there? Or whoever is stealing my stuff? I could go to the library, but the anger bubbling at the surface of my control is too intense, and I need to let it out.

Needing a distraction, I head to my double PE class. As I walk across the campus, my mind replay’s the expression on Ayden’s face. What the fuck is his problem? Why the hell did he look so pissed for? And why didn’t anyone tell me he was coming back? Fuck him, and fuck everyone else.

PE has already started when I walk in, and I ignore Mr Foster and head to the girls change rooms. I’m furious. I’m livid. I need to hurt someone, and I need to do it now. Once I’m changed, I go into the stadium and spot Allison. She wasn’t here last time we had PE, and after today, she’s going to wish she didn’t show up.

Today’s activity is Soccer, and I can see that all my guys are on the same side, so I grab up a yellow bib to indicate that I’m on their team too, and run out into the game honing in on my target. What happens on the field stays on the field, right? Or I should say floor since we are playing