“I know you read the last page of a book first, even though you swear you don’t. I know you hate gold jewelry, but you wear that one gold bracelet because your grandmother gave it to you. I know you pretend not to care about birthdays, but you always get quiet the night before yours, like you’re secretly hoping someone will make a big deal out of it.”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

“I know you keep a pack of spearmint gum in your bag even though you hate the taste, just in case someone else wants a piece.” His voice was slow, as if he were dragging the words out just to make me squirm. “I know you always set three alarms in the morning, but you wake up on the first one and just lie there, staring at the ceiling. I know you can’t sleep without white noise, so you keep a fan running even in the middle of winter. I know you avoid sad movies unless you’re alone because you hate crying in front of people. I know you write text messages and then delete them before you send them. I know you hate when people touch your hair, but you let me mess with it anyway.”

I swallowed hard, but he just kept going.

“I know you don’t actually like soda, but you drink it anyway because you like the carbonation. I know you hum to yourself when you’re thinking, even if you don’t realize it. I know you avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks, even though you would never admit to being superstitious. I know you tell people your favorite color is pink, but it’s really green—you just don’t want to deal with the questions. And I know you hate saying goodbye, so you always say ‘see you later’ instead.”

I swallowed again, hating the way my throat burned.

Blake let out a long, shaky breath, his eyes drifting to the windshield before meeting mine again. “And I know⁠—”

He stopped himself.

I hesitated, unsure if I wanted to hear what he was about to say. But my pulse thundered in my ears, demanding an answer.

“Know what?” I asked.

He shook his head once. “Nothing.”

“If there’s something you need to say, say it now, Blake.”

“I know that if he touches you, you’ll be thinking about me.”

A violent shiver ran down my spine, every muscle in my body tightening. I should have never gotten in the car. I should have known that this conversation would tear me apart.

“Drop me off at the corner,” I told him, my voice shaking slightly, betraying the facade I was desperately trying to maintain. “I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

“Nice try,” he said. “Does Reese know how stubborn you are? How you tap your fingers when you’re impatient? That you only drink soda if the ice is crushed?”