In Between the Lines

Chapter 25: Underneath the Ice

"Hello?"

"Hannah?" I willed my voice into composure, even as my hands began to shake. I pressed my phone tight to my ear. "Hey, are you with Lewis by any chance? Or actually, if you could give me his number—"

"Lyra, what the hell! I was seriously just about to call you. Where are you? I thought you'd be here!"

I paused, hearing what sounded like muffled conversation and laughter in the background. "Where?"

"We're all at the old ice cream shop next to the movie theatre. You need to get your ass over here right now." She lowered her voice. "Your fake-but-not-fake boyfriend is here, and there's some desperate little brunette—"

"Wait." My lungs seized. "Dez? Dez is there? He's okay?"

"Okay?" She scoffed. "I'd say he's more than okay. That Selena bitch has been trying to climb on his lap for the past ten minutes—"

I stopped hearing her after that. My heart didn't seem to know whether to burst with relief or shrivel up with anger.

So it did both.

Dez was there. He was there and he was okay and perfectly safe. But if he was okay, then he hadn't just missed my calls. He'd purposely ignored them. And all because . . .

"Do you mean Serena?" I gritted out. I didn't want to believe it. I'd waited. For three hours, I'd waited, worried—felt close to the worst guilt I'd ever felt in my life because I thought something had happened to him. I'd even almost called Ethan and Lukas to start a search party for him—to hell with keeping my secrets.

Dez had stood me up, that much was clear.

But for her?

Fire filled my veins.

"The snooty brunette? I think so. But I honestly don't care what her name is." Hannah seethed, "I'm going to claw off her face if she keeps trying to touch him. Do you want me to fight her, Lyra? 'Cause I will—"

"I have to go."

"What?" Her tone fell when she caught the shift in mine. "Why? Is everything okay? If this is about Dez, he's not letting her—"

"No, no. It's not about him," I lied, "Sorry, it's just my dad calling."

"Oh, alright. Well, do you still want me to punch her? Because I can."

"Do what you want, Han." I forced a laugh, no matter how much it suddenly hurt to. "I'll see you at work next weekend, alright?"

"Alright. Bye, Lyra!"

"Bye, Han."

***

I found him standing by his locker before lunch, a few of his teammates and their groupies surrounding him, all immersed in conversation with one another—except for Dez.

He remained silent as he leaned against the wall of lockers, arms crossed and eyes vacant as he looked down the hall at nothing in particular.

I made my way toward him, and my heart lurched as his stare flitted to mine—but there was no visible shift in his expression or posture. He only stayed leaning against his locker, watching me as I walked to him, gaze never straying from mine. It was when I got close enough to see the amber color in them that I realized how, despite their warm hue, his eyes were cold. As if there were a thin sheet of ice masking them.

"We need to talk," I said, looking solely at him—but announcing it loud enough for his friends to take a hint. When they didn't, I glanced at each and everyone of them and said firmly, "Now."