Chapter 39: Summer

##Chapter 39: Summer

Book One: King of Hawthorne Prep

I give him an exasperated look that says oh, please.

When my ice cream continues to melt under the sweltering sun, I rise and dump it in the plastic bin near the squat white building. Kingsley's gaze never falters as he continues to eat his cone. I wait, hoping he'll get the hint that I'm ready to leave. When he remains seated, I reluctantly return to the bench. An unsettling silence falls over us as I find a loose thread at the hem of my plaid skirt to pick at.

"I don't understand you," I whisper before pressing my lips together. The thought had been circling through my head, but I didn't mean to voice it out loud.

"What's there to understand?" Even though his legs remain outstretched and his posture relaxed, this conversation feels anything but.