Read Online Reckless Hearts by Sean Olin - Free Book Online Page B

really late.”
    â€œI know. I couldn’t sleep.”
    â€œOkay,” she said. “Hold on.”
    Jake waited for her to shake the sleep from her head. This wasn’t the first time he’d called her at three a.m. There’d been a time, during his dad’s worst days, before he got sober, when he’d leaned on her almost every night, talking about the newest development, how they couldn’t find his dad, or how they’d had to bail him out of jail, how his father seemed so helpless and sad and totally not like the dad Jake had always known.
    â€œWhat’s up?” she said. “You calling to apologize?”
    Jake had been so swept up in the conspiracy theory he’d begun to develop around Harlow that he’d forgotten that this was the actual root of the problem between him and Elena. Confronted with his guilt, he froze up and couldn’t think of what to say.
    And in that fiery way of hers, Elena filled the silence between them. “’Cause what was that about? That song! I mean, I don’t even know what you were trying to say to me. You think I’m some sort of flighty, stupid girl who lets whoever comes along take advantage of her? Is that how you see me?”
    â€œNo, I don’t,” Jake mumbled.
    â€œThen tell me why. It’s totally not like you to do something like that.”
    â€œYou’re right,” he said dumbly.
    â€œSo?” She waited for him to explain himself.
    Jake could feel the pressure on this moment, like the whole world was pressing down on his shoulders. He knew that the right thing to do was to tell her the truth: that he loved her, that he’d been overcome with an irrational and overwhelming jealousy and that he’d lashed out stupidly. For some reason, though, he couldn’t do it. The possibility of being rejected by her terrified him.
    All he could bring himself to say was “I’m sorry.”
    â€œOkay,” she said. “Thanks.”
    She still sounded guarded. “Do you forgive me?” Jake asked, his insecurity gnawing at the edges of his brain.
    â€œYeah, Jake. I can be a dick sometimes, too. But . . .” Her voice softened and he felt the old concern and quiet care for him filter into it. “. . . what’s going on with you? Why won’t you tell me? It’s like you suddenly don’t trust me anymore.”
    The pressure returned. It was even heavier than before. He thought of Harlow and remembered his initial reason for calling her.
    â€œHave you talked to Harlow?” he asked.
    â€œA little bit. He liked my animation,” she said.
    His heart raced. “He’s definitely not real,” he said, blurting it out in one rushed breath. “Listen, I just Googled him—”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?”
    â€œYou need to know, Elena. He’s not real.”
    â€œNot ‘real’? Like he’s my imaginary friend? Like a cartoon character? Jake. Come on. Are you still on this? I’m not an idiot.”
    â€œYou know what I mean. Somebody made a fake profile. Like, they’re trolling you and trying to trick you. I don’t know why, but—”
    â€œIs this why you called me? Have you been up all night thinking about Harlow? Jake, why are you doing this?”
    â€œI’m trying to protect you.”
    â€œHave I ever needed protecting before?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œSo then stop trying.” Her voice was firm, final.
    â€œBut—”
    â€œYou know what? I can’t deal with this tonight.”
    â€œElena, wait—”
    She was gone before he could say any more. There was just a gaping, dark, empty silence on the other end of the line now.
    Jake closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I’m such a fool , he thought. He set the phone down on the desk and stared at it in the blue glow of his computer screen. Then he picked it up again.
    The urge to call her back made him dizzy. His