My Childhood Friend Pretended to Love Me, Not Knowing I Could Hear His Thoughts Chapter 01

My Childhood Friend Pretended to Love Me, Not Knowing I Could Hear His Thoughts Chapter 01

After Jacob Harrison tore up my SAT registration confirmation for Skylar Price, I ended our friendship.

Not that it made any difference. I had already gotten early admission to Pinecrest University.

But right before the semester started, I was kidnapped. The moment a bottle of acid was thrown at me, Jacob lunged forward and took the hit.

He was permanently disfigured. A month later, he jumped from the hospital roof.

“Elena, I’m paying back what I owed you with my life. Next life, I hope you’ll give me a chance to make up for it.”

After he died, I lived the rest of my life drowning in guilt.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to one month before the SAT.

This time, Jacob was different. He stopped helping Skylar hurt me. He even called her a “shameless illegitimate daughter” in public.

He moved to sit next to me, brought me warm milk every morning, and carried my backpack after school.

Everyone said he had finally seen the light, that his world now revolved around me.

Then, just as I received my early admission letter and was hesitating whether to tell him, I suddenly heard his thoughts, clear as if he’d spoken.

[Last time, tearing up her test ticket didn’t work because she still had that early admission.]

[This time, I’ll make sure she can’t take the exam and I’ll sabotage her early admission too. Only then will Skylar be happy.]

—

Those two voices were still drilling into my head.

The milk carton in my hand crunched as I squeezed it, splashing milk all over my fingers.

Jacob immediately leaned over, reaching for my forehead, his voice dripping with fake concern. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?”

I turned my head away, not even giving him a glance.

“I’m fine. Just tired.”

He quickly slipped off his hoodie and spread it over my desk. A faint, sweet vanilla scent clung to the fabric.

Skylar’s signature scent.

“Put your head down and sleep. The rest of the afternoon is just study hall.”

I lowered my eyes and buried my face in my arms. Images from my past life flashed behind my eyelids.

On exam day, I was frantically searching for my admission ticket outside the SAT testing center, desperately searching through my bag.

Jacob pretended to help me look. When I was huddled on the ground, crying until I couldn’t breathe, he slowly pulled out my shredded ticket.

“Sorry, I grabbed the wrong one. Looks like mice got to it.” His voice was light, careless. “No big deal. You can just apply again next year.”

Skylar stood beside him, covering her mouth and laughing, her eyes sharp with triumph.

But they didn’t win, I had already secured my early admission to Pinecrest.

Then, right before the semester started, I was kidnapped.

The moment the acid bottle flew toward me, Jacob pushed me aside and took the hit. Half his face was burned away, down to the bone.

He spent two weeks in the ICU, then jumped from the hospital roof.

His last message to me: [Elena, I’m paying you back with my life.]

Thinking about it now, I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms.

Jacob gently pried my fingers open and started wiping my hands with a napkin, his touch soft and careful.

I barely held back my disgust.

Then Skylar came over, walking carefully, her eyes red. “Elena, would you like to come to my place for dinner tonight?”

I didn’t answer.

But Jacob snapped as if she’d crossed a line. “She’s not your sister. Elena’s an only child. A bastard like you isn’t fit to call her anything. Get lost.”

Skylar ran off crying.

People around us whispered.

“Jacob is so mean to Skylar now.”

“Well, isn’t that how it should be? Her mom is a homewrecker. She deserves it.”

“Exactly. Jacob finally came to his senses.”

Jacob sat back down and lowered his voice. “Elena, don’t be mad. From now on, every time I see her, I’ll chew her out.”

His expression was terrifyingly sincere.

But I heard his thoughts loud and clear.

[Ugh, Skylar’s eyes are all swollen from crying. I’m going to be up all night comforting her.]

My heart ached.

He had been acting so perfectly lately.

Every time Skylar tried to upset me, he was the first to chase her off.

Last weekend, he took me camping at Lake Cypress to help me unwind, but we ran into my dad with Skylar and her mom.

When Skylar tried to trip me, Jacob shoved her right into the creek, acting even angrier than I was.

When I just stood there stunned, Jacob panicked.

[She didn’t notice, did she? I just laid into Skylar pretty hard.]

[Good thing I came back too and already know about her early admission. Once I ruin that, she’ll be a mess. Her future will be trashed, and Skylar will finally be able to one-up her.]

I looked at his face, so close to mine. The image from my past life—his disfigured, bloody face, his fall from the roof—overlapped with the gentle, concerned mask in front of me.

He was never sorry for destroying my future. He was just sorry he hadn’t slammed the door completely shut.

[Pushing Skylar into the creek last week made her cry all night. I spent hours comforting her and took a hundred ugly pictures of Elena to make her feel better.]

[Once I’ve taken care of Elena’s early admission situation, I’m taking Skylar on a trip to make it up to her.]

A cold, sharp chill ran through me.

That day, after Skylar tripped me, my ankle swelled up so badly I couldn’t walk. He said he was going to buy me some Icy Hot. I waited under that tree for him all night.

He was busy comforting Skylar.

I stared into his eyes and said slowly, “You hate her… just because of me?”

He didn’t hesitate. “Of course. Anyone who makes you unhappy, I hate.”

I opened my mouth and let the words fall one by one, watching his face drain of color.

“You know I hate her because she killed my mom.”