My head dropped to face the ground. Poppy guided it back with her hands. She searched my eyes. “And your pappa? Why don’t you—”
“Enough,” I spat out, harshly, refusing to talk about him. I would never forgive him for taking me away. This one topic was off-limits, even for Poppy. Poppy seemed neither hurt nor offended by my outburst. Instead, all I saw was sympathy in her face.
I couldn’t bear that either.
Taking her hand, and without another word, I pulled her toward the school. Poppy gripped my hand tightly when other students stopped looking and started staring. “Let them stare,” I said to Poppy as we entered the school gates.
“Okay,” she replied and edged closer to my side.
When we walked into the hallway, I saw Deacon, Judson, Jorie, Avery and Ruby all gathered near their lockers. I hadn’t spoken to any of them since the party.
None of them knew of this development.
It was Jorie who turned first, her eyes widening when her gaze fell to Poppy’s and my joined hands. She must have said something under her breath, because in seconds, all our friends turned to look at us. Confusion was all over their faces.
Turning to Poppy, I urged, “Come on, we’d better speak to them.”
I moved to go forward, when Poppy pulled me back. “They don’t know about…” she whispered, for only me to hear. “No one does except our families and the teachers. And you.”
I nodded slowly. Then she said, “And Jorie. Jorie knows too.”
That bit of information slammed into my gut. Poppy must have seen the hurt on my face, because she explained, “I needed someone, Rune. She was my closest friend except for you. She helped me with schoolwork and things like that.”
“But you told her and not me,” I said, fighting the urge to walk away and get some air.
Poppy held on tightly to me. “She didn’t love me like you did. And I don’t love her like I love you.”
As Poppy said those words, my anger faded … And I don’t love her like I love you…
Stepping closer to Poppy, I wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “They’re going to find out at some point.”
“But not yet,” she said, firmly.
I smirked at the determination in her eyes. “But not yet.”
“Rune? Get the hell over here, you got some explaining to do!” Deacon’s loud voice rang out over the bustle of the hallway.
“You ready?” I asked Poppy.
She nodded. I steered us to meet our group of friends. Poppy’s arm was wrapped firmly around my waist. “So you’re back together?” Deacon asked.
I nodded, my lip curling in disgust as Avery’s face beamed with jealousy. Clearly seeing me notice, she quickly assumed her usual cynical mask. I didn’t care; she was never anything to me.
“So it’s Poppy and Rune, together again?” Ruby clarified.
“Yes,” Poppy confirmed, smiling up at me. I kissed her forehead, holding her close.
“Well, it seems the world has righted itself again,” Jorie announced, reaching out to squeeze Poppy’s arm. “It wasn’t right, y’all not being together. The universe just kinda felt … off.”
“Thanks, Jor,” Poppy said, and they held each other’s gazes for a second longer, communicating in silence. I noticed Jorie’s eyes begin to water. As they did, she exclaimed, “Well, I gotta get to class. I’ll catch y’all later!”
Jorie walked away. Poppy moved to her locker. I ignored all the stares. When Poppy had retrieved her books, I backed her against the closed door, and said, “See? It wasn’t so bad.”
“Not so bad,” Poppy echoed, but I saw her watching my lips.
Leaning in, I pressed my chest against hers and took her mouth with mine. Poppy whimpered when my hand dropped to her hair, clasping it tight. When I pulled back, her eyes were bright and her cheeks were flushed.
“Kiss three hundred and sixty. Against my locker door at school. Showing the world we’re together again … and my heart almost burst.”
I moved away, leaving Poppy to catch her breath.
“Rune?” she called as I headed to my math class. I turned and flicked my chin. “I’m gonna need more of these moments to fill my jar.”
Heat speared through me at the thought of kissing her at every opportunity. Poppy flushed at the intensity on my face. Just as I turned again, she called, “And Rune?”
I smirked and answered, “Ja?”
“Where’s your favorite place to go here in Georgia?” I couldn’t quite make out the expression on her face, but something was going on in that head of hers. She was planning something, I just knew it.
“The blossom grove, when it’s spring,” I replied, feeling my face soften just at the thought.
“And when it’s not spring?” she probed.
I shrugged. “The beach probably. Why?”
“No reason,” she trilled, then headed in the opposite direction.
“See you at lunch,” I shouted.
“I gotta practice my cello,” she shouted back.
Standing still, I told her, “Then I’ll be watching.”
Poppy’s face brightened and she repeated, gently, “Then you’ll be watching.”
We stood, on opposite sides of the hallway, just staring. Poppy mouthed, “For infinity.”
And I mouthed back, “Forever always.”
* * *
The week passed in a blur.
I’d never cared about time before—whether it went fast or slow. Now I did. Now I wanted a minute to last an hour, an hour to last a day. But, despite my silent pleas to whoever the hell was up there, time was rushing by too fast. Everything was moving too damn fast.
At school, the collective interest at me and Poppy being back together settled down after a few days. Most people still didn’t get it, but I paid that no mind. In our little town, I knew that people talked. Most of the gossip was about how and why we got back together.
I didn’t give a damn about that either.
The doorbell rang as I lay on my bed, and I rolled to stand, grabbing my jacket off my chair. Poppy was taking me out.
She was taking me out.
This morning when I left her bed, she told me to be ready for ten. She wouldn’t tell me why, or what we were doing, but I did as she asked.
She knew I would.
As I walked out of my door and down the hallway, I heard the sound of Poppy’s voice. “Hey, little man, how’re you doing?”
“Good,” Alton replied shyly.
Rounding the corner, I stopped when I saw Poppy crouching down to meet Alton’s eyes. Alton’s long hair was shielding his face. I watched as he nervously pushed his hair from his face with his hand … just like I did. Poppy’s words from last week came crashing into my mind…
He has long hair because he wants to be like you. He imitates your habits, your idiosyncrasies, because he wants to be like you. He wants you to notice him. He adores you…
I watched my baby brother rock shyly on his feet. I couldn’t help curling my lip in amusement. He too was quiet, like me. Didn’t really speak unless he was spoken to first.
“What are you up to today?” Poppy asked him.
“Nothing,” Alton replied sullenly.
Poppy’s smile faded. Alton asked, “Are you going out with Rune again?”
“Yeah, baby,” she replied quietly.
“Does he talk to you now?” Alton asked. And I heard it. I heard the tone of sadness in his quiet voice, the one that Poppy had told me about.