I felt elbows hook under my arms and lift me off the sticky lino hospital flooring. Thinking myself safe in Connor’s hands, shock hit me like a brick as he shoved me up against the wall.

“Are you stupid?” he hissed at me. “Seriously? Here, now?”
I couldn’t look at him but he was so close so I focused on his lips, which were slightly ajar in shock of what I had done.
“Look at me, you stupid, stupid girl!” I wasn’t quite sure why he was crying.
I nodded in agreement. I was stupid. More than that, I was an awful person and a terrible friend. How could I do that to her?

“He’s not gonna choose you, you know?” Connor said, pushing off to lean on the wall beside me. His words didn’t hit me like I thought they would; they just made me realise:
“I know. But he makes me feel … special. Does that make sense?”
“You mean a lot to me, you know,” he says, not looking at me. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I know. I’ll stop.”

But I couldn’t. I couldn’t stop loving Jacob.