Crave (Harlequin Teen)

what I thought of as her Ice Princess mask. She was right there, just a few inches away from me. I could reach out and touch her if I dared. But I didn’t, because no matter how near our imaginary bodies were to each other, she was still every bit as untouchable as in history class.
    I woke up the next morning on edge and spent the rest of the weekend worrying about Monday.

CHAPTER 12
    Tristan
    I knew things were off track as soon as I saw Savannah headed my way Monday morning. She wasn’t carrying her thermos cup of tea. And she was wearing the Ice Princess mask, her face cold and remote.
    I tried to reassure myself that she was just having a rough morning. “Good morning, Savannah.”
    “Good morning.”
    No tea today meant no chance to hold her mug for her and touch her fingers in the process.
    She opened the doors and headed upstairs, her steps brisker than usual. She didn’t glance back at me on the way up, didn’t pause once she reached the hallway.
    She was silent as always during her morning routine of unlocking doors and grabbing equipment. But her silence was somehow different today, cooler, as if she were all business and the real Savannah wasn’t even here.
    “Rough morning?” I asked as we exited the building and the silence became too heavy.
    “No, not really.” Her lips formed a smile that looked suspiciously like the same one she’d given Dylan in history after he’d knocked her books to the floor.
    Okay, obviously I’d screwed up at the game Friday night.
    We entered the practice field and drew closer to the gathering dancers. But I didn’t care that we’d run out of time for private talk. If I didn’t apologize now, she might not give me a chance to later.
    “Listen, Sav, about what I said—”
    “Mister Tristan, while we are on team time, I’ll have to ask you to please call me Miss Savannah. As I clearly stated before, it’s the team rules, and how we show respect for one another.” She didn’t look at me as she spoke, her brisk stride never hesitating until she reached the edge of the fifty yard line where we always set up the sound system. “Okay, Miss Savannah.” The formal address felt all wrong coming out of my mouth now. Another barrier between us. “I’m—”
    She held up a hand. “We need to get to work. Let’s discuss this later please.”
    And then she walked away to do her early-morning meeting with the team director.
    Oh, yeah. I’d screwed up big-time.
    I thought I’d at least get to apologize at the end of practice. But she was sneakier than I’d expected. She had one of the freshmen managers walk with me to put up the trainer bag and sound system instead. The next morning, she got to the school before me and already had the sound system set up on the field by the time I arrived. Even that wouldn’t have been an obstacle, except she had the sophomore managers there with her, too.
    Tuesday through Thursday’s practices were more of the same, with her constantly hiding behind her managers or sending me on office errands so she could avoid being alone with me. But then Keisha told me what time Savannah had been getting there at the school each morning.
    So Friday morning, I made sure to get there even earlier.
    Savannah
    As soon as I saw him waiting outside the foyer doors, my shoulders stiffened. I pressed my lips together. If I opened my mouth right now, this could turn ugly. I might start talking and be unable to stop. There were too many things I wanted to say to him, questions I yearned to ask. Like why couldn’t he just leave me alone? Why did he have to keep on breaking my heart?
    Did he feel even the slightest bit sorry for all the years he’d refused to speak to me and pretended I didn’t exist?
    I unlocked the doors in silence, the clicking of the lock’s release echoing in the foyer. He held the door open for me, and I tried my best to squeeze past without touching him. Even as my entire body begged for the exact opposite to happen.
    Anne had tried to warn me and everyone else that he was a heartless, spoiled player. I should have listened to her instead of thinking he’d changed.
    My eyes burned as we crossed the shiny linoleum floor and entered the staircase, my hands shaking as I gripped the metal rail and climbed the winding stairs.
    Was it some kind of game to him, messing with my heart and my mind? Was it a big joke, getting me to open up and talk to him so he could turn around and treat me like crap again? And in front of