I jump on the bed, almost reaching it, but come up short.
“Give it back,” I order. “That isn’t yours.”
“That isn’t yours,” he mimics, making his voice too high-pitched, sounding nothing like me.
“I don’t sound like that.”
“I don’t sound like that.” Repeating me like a parrot.
Jolting, I dive-bomb across my mattress when he tosses it over his shoulder. Without a backward glance seconds later.
“There, I did my part,” he says flatly, already basically in his room.
I yell, answering anyway. Needing to know before I killed him. “What did you do?”
“Tell your hot friend I’ll be expecting a text,” he says instead, slamming his door shut.
Dismissing the slew of confusing texts Hailey was sending me. I go to my list, seeing that Finn was a now shared contact. His number saved to my phone along with two new others.
My skin tingled and my palms dampened. This wasn’t good.
Eli’s number wasn’t the problem, it was the other one that now vacated my phone. Finn thought he’d been clever; he was really a buffoon.
My phone lights up. One new message.
Iceman: Believe me now?
Another one coming through seconds later.
Iceman: Patience has never been my strong suit, princess. Ignore me and see what happens.
And another directly after that.
Iceman: Ticktock…
Rolling my eyes, I type out a reply.
Rory: Do me a favor and lose this number.
Iceman: Stop drawing attention to yourself and then we’ll see about requests.
I don’t respond. Tapping his contact information, I get another notification. My thumb hovering over the block button.
Iceman: Block this number and you’ll have to deal with me that much more in person.
I groan like he can hear me through the phone.
Rory: Stay out of my head.
Iceman: Stay out of my way.
Grumbling, I toss my phone onto the nightstand. Cole was the worst.
nineteen
Rory
I’veoftenthoughtartistswere the most misconceived people. Repeatedly misunderstood for generations.