Releasing 10 (Boys of Tommen, #6)

by Chloe Walsh

I had to make my family love me. If I didn’t, they were going to send me away.

“There is nothing wrong with you,” my sister repeated, keeping her hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming. “So you better start acting like it or you’ll end up where she did.”

“Your face is red.” He shifted in discomfort. “So is yours.” “I know why.” I beamed back at him. “It’s because I give you the hots.” “Uh.” He looked surprised and his face turned even redder. “I, uh…” “It’s okay.” Grinning, I grabbed his hand and pressed it to my cheek. “See? You give me the hots, too.” “Uh…yeah, maybe,”

“You really don’t have to dress up.” His tone was gentle when he added, “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” “Really?” “Yeah.”

I blinked a few times, not entirely sure if I was seeing her properly because this girl didn’t look like the other girls on the bus. She didn’t look like anything I’d ever seen before. She sort of resembled a ghost. Or an angel. Something different. Something special.

I had no clue what was coming out of my mouth. I was too distracted by the sound of my pulse drumming in my ears and the way my eyes enjoyed looking at this girl. It honestly couldn’t be helped because sitting in front of me was the prettiest girl in the world.

“But I can’t turn my mind off,” I protested. “It never stops talking to me.” “No.” Smoothing my hair, she gave me a warning look. “You don’t say things like that.”

“I don’t think I like you, Lizzie Young.” He looked out the window when he whispered, “I know I do.”

“You wouldn’t change me if you could?” “Nope.” “How come?” “Because then you wouldn’t be you,” I explained, wiping away another one of her tears. “And a world without Lizzie Young would be a travesty.”

It was hard to explain the comfort Hugh’s presence gave me. He made it easy to be alive.