Chapter 51

“What? When?” It’s an answer of shock. Sure, I misheard him, even if it was loud and clear.

I spin back to face him, seeing how he has slumped back against the door behind him and is staring at the ceiling like a hopeless weirdo, kicking his foot against the rug. He seems disengaged and is acting plain odd, which is not how I expected. Reverting to that nine-year-old boy of long ago.

“When you asked me to…….” He mumbles, so it’s barely audible, then slumps his shoulders in defeat.

I stare at him in open-mouthed disbelief…processing those words in slow-mo like my brain can't quite grasp them.

“Why am I like this?” he sighs, avoiding my eyes, but all I can focus on is how my stomach and heart lurch and twist in unison like synchronized swimmers, and my head almost explodes with his answer.

Because I asked him to….. What is that even supposed to mean?

Was that why she cried at school?

That was days ago, over a week ago.

Surely he did