In Between the Lines

Chapter 13: The Biggest Man in the World

The school day passed in a tight, colorless blur.

As each hour trickled by, the throbbing in my head only grew worse, my eyelids heavier and heavier. I didn't think I'd actually retained anything in my classes today, so by the time I got to Chemistry, I'd given up any hope of being able to keep myself focused. Not just because of my lack of sleep but because there were one too many things taking hostage of my thoughts. First my mother's news and how I was possibly going to bear that news to my father. And then—Ethan's discovery.

I was one of the first students to arrive in Chemistry. In the back of the classroom, Mr. Matthews was toying with the thermostat—which, from the way he was furiously slamming the buttons, appeared to be broken.

Within ten seconds of being in the room, I already felt the sweat beginning to form behind my neck. I swiftly peeled off my hoodie and threw it on the back of my seat as the rest of the class filled in, most of the students groaning as they took in the temperature they'd have to endure for the next hour—including Dez.

"Holy burning hell," he grunted as he took his seat beside me. I turned to him, agreeing with the sentiment—when his eyes flew down to my shirt and a smile suddenly split his lips.

His voice took on a low, flirtatious tone. "Are you trying to seduce me, my little bird?"

I looked down, not realizing what I'd been wearing until now. I was so eager to put my hoodie on this morning that I didn't bother to glance at which shirt I'd pulled from my closet. This one happened to be something I wore to sleep and only to sleep—a soft pink tee with a fat, glittering pink cupcake stamped on the front. My grandmother had gifted it to me two birthdays ago, along with a matching set of cupcake printed bottoms. "Cupcakes for my cupcake!" she had said.

Cupcake, indeed.

Before I could answer, Dez's gaze traveled to the rest of my get-up—the dark circles under my eyes, the wild waves, the sweats—and his mouth tightened. "You look tired today."

"If you mean to tell me I look like shit, then I know."

"Nah, you couldn't look like shit even if you tried." He shrugged, folding his muscled arms across the table and leaning over to better look at me. "I mean to tell you that you looked tired today, Peacock. Did you get any sleep?"

I shook my head, looking away from his intense gaze. "Not really."

"How come?"

"I just couldn't."

"Is it because of whatever was bothering you yesterday?"

"I don't know, Dez. I don't really want—"

"To talk about it?" He lifted a brow.

When my response was just to give him an apologetic look, he offered me a half-smile and said, "That's alright. I get it. I have those days, too."

And my heart sank because I knew now more than ever how much that was true.

I leaned back in my seat. Hot. It was still too hot in the room. I was thankful when I glanced at my wrist and realized I'd left a hair-tie wrapped around it. I tossed my hair up, fixing it in a high, messy bun. Dez watched in fascination as I did, his gaze slowly falling from the top of my bun to the exposed nape of my neck—and staying there.

His throat bobbed. "I don't suppose you've spoken to Hannah today."

"Hannah?—no." I felt a quick pang of guilt. Between my mother's morbid surprise last night and Ethan's revelation this morning, I hadn't even thought to text her. "Please tell me you have good news."