The Heartbreak Club

5. win a heart, lose a heart

Thanks to xxxneenahxxx for the cover shown above! 💕

   When her physics lecturer started droning on about projectile motion, Willa unfolded the paper under her notebook, revealing it only far enough to read each rule one by one. It was pretty straight forward, a structure limiting loopholes. 

   She'd have to spend a minimum of one hour each day with Ashton, and they'd both have to attend Kelsey's Halloween party over the weekend. No foul play. Proper investment into their relationship. All things Willa had expected. Then, after seven days of being a couple, it was a free for all. They were able to break up.

   Immediately, she started concocting ways of breaking Ashton, and not just breaking up with him, but finding a reason to do so at all. If she could have it mapped out and ready for next Wednesday morning then she could beat him to the chase and cut ties.

   Only, she knew he'd have the same intentions, despite the nonchalant air about him. She'd have to be very careful.

   At lunch time, she was quick to find him, pacing down the halls like a madwoman with her books in hand and Mary Janes clicking loudly on the tiled floors. She was sure she'd see him lingering on the sidelines somewhere, watching from afar as if he were too good to mingle with the commoner students. Only, it wasn't him she found first.

   It was Declan. And he was looping an arm in hers and pulling her behind the staircase and out of view.

   "Willa," he breathed when they were separated from the crowd that was moving towards the cafeteria. His pale eyes searched hers, as if trying to assess any changes since the last time he'd held her so intimately.

   She pulled her arm from his and scowled at him, ignoring the pressure building upon her chest. "What are you doing?"

   Declan looked a little hesitant. Their proximity in the cramped space had her heart racing, and it made it hard to keep her face distorted into a look of hatred. Her face fell from its scowl and instead she crossed her arms over her chest in an effort to translate pissed-off body language.

   His full lips parted briefly before closing, like he'd thought better of whatever he was going to say. Then, after averting his gaze and giving a rattled sigh, he spoke. "I just wanted to see you. I've missed you."

   She was seething.

   "You have no right to say that," she hissed through gritted teeth. He'd been the one to cheat, the one to deny it, the one who didn't call last night.

   "I know," he said hoarsely. God, he was so close. She couldn't handle it. She missed how easily they connected, the way he knew where his hand fitted at her waist, and the way she could so easily lean up to kiss him, as if her body were designed for his. The golden couple, they'd called them.