He Deleted My Number After 972 Messages of Love Chapter 12

He Deleted My Number After 972 Messages of Love Chapter 12

No sooner had the guys fled than Jesse walked out of the school building.

“You’ve been out here forever. Why are you still hanging around the entrance?”

Chloe smiled faintly. “We just watched some guy stepping in to bail a girl out of a sketchy situation. It was pretty entertaining. Now that it’s over, let’s go.”

As Ezra turned to leave, I spoke up quietly. “Ezra… I need to talk to you about something.”

He glanced back at me for a few seconds, then said to Jesse, “You guys go ahead.”

Jesse stayed rooted where he stood and glanced my way. “What’s going on?”

Chloe tugged his arm. “Come on, they’re having a private conversation. Don’t be so invasive of their personal space.”

Dry autumn leaves drifted down to land at my feet. I shifted nervously, kicking one a few inches away.

“I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have said what I said earlier.”

“Lots of people rub each other the wrong way at first glance,” he said, his tone calm. “It happens. No need to apologize. If that’s all you’ve got to say, I’m out of here.”

“I-I…” I stumbled over my words. “I didn’t dislike you from the moment we met.”

“I only realized during PE class that you were the guy who helped me on the bus that day. I wanted to find you and treat you to a meal to thank you properly.”

I rushed through the explanation.

“But then I saw you were friends with Jesse and Chloe.” I paused. “I’ve got some bad history with them, and I don’t really like them. I automatically assumed you were the same kind of person, so I tried to keep my distance—which led to what I said at lunch. I really am sorry.”

“And I’m really grateful you stepped up for me just now, even after how I treated you.”

I summed up my messy history with Jesse as just “bad history.” Whether Jesse had told Ezra about the bet or not, I didn’t want to bring it up again.

Ezra folded his arms across his chest. When I finished, he drawled a lazy comment.

“Wouldn’t have guessed you were that old-fashioned.”

I blinked. “Huh?”

“Guilt by association, basically group blame.”

I fell silent, cheeks burning as I ducked my head down again.

“Let’s go, Ungrateful.”

I lifted my head. “My name’s Sadie. Where are we going?”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to buy me dinner?”

“But didn’t you already make plans with Jesse and them?”

“Nah, not anymore.” He scanned me up and down with a lazy look.

“Catching up with them is nowhere near as fun as watching an ungrateful person beg for forgiveness.”

It dawned on me that he’d made up that nickname on purpose—the “Ungrateful” part was a jab at what I’d said earlier.

I trailed a step behind him, murmuring quietly. “I already apologized, and I’m buying you dinner now, so I’m not some ungrateful person anymore, right?”

The boy’s mouth twitched into a faint smirk, looking thoroughly uninterested in engaging further.

“You’re just looking for an easy out to dig yourself out of trouble.”