I break into a smile.
Love: Can’t sleep?
Zac:No.
Love: Me neither.
He stops replying, and I get the sense that he’s mad at me for something. To be fair, I’ve been ghosting him since I found his confession earlier today. Left him on Read for hours. It’s got to suck opening up to a stranger, only to get bailed on.
Love: I’m sorry for taking so long to reply. That was really shitty of me. I saw your confession and I just freaked.
Zac: Why?
Love:I think it got too real for me? I realized my next confession would have to measure up, and I’m scared that I’m going to scare you away with all of my baggage.
Zac: I just told you I’m emotionally fucked up, L. It’s me who should be worried about scaring you away.
Love: Tell you what,I’m going to leave my confession in the book tomorrow. Then we can revisit the “who’s more fucked-up” debate.
Zac:Deal.
Love: What’d you do tonight?
Zac:Nothing much. Went to senior prank night, too. Got stuck in a classroom with a girl from my childhood. You?
Love:What do you mean “too”?
Zac: I’m assuming that’s why you’re still up? Because you were there?
Warning signs flash in my head.
Do I tell him the truth?
What if he figures it out?
No, I can’t risk it.
Love:I didn’t go. Just stayed in, watched movies. How’d you end up stuck in a classroom with a girl?
Zac: Cops showed up andshe was going to get caught. We let her hide with us.
Love:Oooh, is she pretty?
What? I had to ask. Anxiety stirring in my gut, I stare at my screen, waiting for his reply, which takes forever and a day to come. Twenty minutes later, my screen lights up with a new message.
Zac:Very.
I probably shouldn’t be this happy. Just like I shouldn’t be giggling like a twelve-year-old girl, but I can’t help myself.
Then he texts me again.
And the smile evaporates from my face.
Zac:But in an unassuming, unconfident way.
Is that really what he thinks of me?
That I’m insecure?