35

Ariel Beckham.

I step out of class, stomach gnawing at itself because I skipped lunch. Couldn’t eat. Couldn’t stop replaying last night in my head. It’s like I’m stuck, no matter where I am—at home, at school, even when I’m supposed to be working. Ramirez is everywhere, in my mind, in my gut, he is a constant pull that messes with me. I don’t even know what made him think something happened between Michael and I. And now, I’m trapped in this endless loop of wondering what the hell he’s thinking.

So lost in thought, I don’t realize I’ve walked straight into someone until it’s too late. My shoulder slams into them, hard. Jonathan stumbles back, and I blink, completely disoriented.

“Sorry,” he says, even though I was the one who ran into him.

I look up at him, words stuck in my throat. I shoul……