He Heard Every Thought I Had About His Body Chapter 14
Bonus Chapter: Warren’s POV
Childhood friends. That was the story of Warren and
Cora for as long as he could remember.
But for years, Warren never thought Cora was anyone special.
After all, they weren’t even that close.
The extra attention he gave her was only because both families kept asking him to look after her.
Over time, it simply became a habit.
Even learning to cook for her felt more like helping the neighbors.
If he had to put a label on it, she was basically a sister
he wasn’t actually related to.
They walked to school together. Came home together.
They ate dinner at the same table. Did homework side by side.
Sometimes Warren pretended to be Cora’s boyfriend to scare off annoying guys.
Sometimes Cora pretended to be his little sister to
politely reject girls for him.
Warren thought that balance would last forever.
Until high school began.
That was the most unsettled period of his life.
Maybe it was the heavier workload.
Or maybe it was because, for the first time, he and Cora weren’t in the same class.
He could no longer know what she was doing every minute of the day.
Even their schedules stopped lining up.
Still, that wasn’t impossible to fix.
If Cora started school later, he’d leave later too, even if it meant barely making it to class.
If her teacher kept everyone after the bell, he’d wait outside her classroom without complaint.
When she missed lunch, he’d buy food from the cafeteria first and wait for her.
But sometimes, things didn’t go according to plan. He missed lunch one day.
That day, Cora was waiting outside his classroom.
He should’ve been happy to see her.
Instead, his eyes landed on the lunchbox in her hands.
She hadn’t made it. It came from some guy he’d never seen before.
Thinking he’d misunderstood, Cora explained, “I helped him with something. He’s just returning the favor.”
For the first time in his life, the cafeteria food tasted
like cardboard.
The boy’s name was Cole Bennett. Cora’s new desk partner.
He talked nonstop. Always had something to say.
Warren secretly thought Cora would never tolerate someone that chatty.
Sooner or later, she’d get tired of him.
She never did. Instead, they became closer and closer.
Cole even went around school correcting everyone’s assumptions that Warren and Cora were dating.
For the first time in his life, Warren truly hated someone.
Cora, meanwhile, really liked him.
She even left Warren behind for the first time.
Walking home alone that afternoon, Warren felt strangely hollow.
He couldn’t understand why everything had changed
and why his chest hurt so much.
She was only the girl next door. The girl he’d always
looked after like a little sister.
Then he heard it with his own ears.
“I like you.”
Cora was smiling at Cole.
It wasn’t until that moment that Warren finally understood.
The moment jealousy took root, he realized love had
already been growing quietly inside him for years.
It had become a towering tree before he’d even noticed.
Later, Cora brought Cole home.
Warren found himself irrationally blaming her parents for being so open–minded.
Unable to relax, he made up an excuse and stayed at the Hart house.
Cora and Cole chatted in the living room.
Warren hid in the kitchen, helping with dinner.
As he carried the dishes out, he overheard them.
“I’ve actually been thinking about studying abroad,” Cole said.
“My parents aren’t crazy about it, but they haven’t said no.”
“If I really insist, they’ll agree.”
“Cora, why don’t you come with me?”
Warren admitted it. In that moment, he panicked.
He had no idea how he managed to keep walking
instead of freezing where he stood.
Cora stayed silent. It wasn’t even a full minute.
But Warren felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest.
Thank God she said, “No.”
Cole laughed. “Then do you at least support me going?”
“Yeah.” Cora’s expression stayed calm.
“But I’d break up with you.”
Cole didn’t take her seriously. He thought she was just being dramatic.
But Warren caught it right away–she meant every word.
After graduation, everyone else spent the summer celebrating.
Warren, whose family certainly didn’t need the money,
chose to become a private tutor instead.
His student was Cole’s cousin, who was temporarily
living with his family.
The kid was about to start ninth grade.
With Warren’s grades, getting hired was easy.
Whenever the conversation with Cole’s parents drifted toward studying abroad, Warren despised himself.
He hated how shameless he was.
And yet, he kept nudging the conversation in that direction.
He knew there was nothing wrong with choosing your future over love.
No one should be expected to sacrifice their dreams.
It just so happened.
Cora wasn’t the type to sacrifice love for someone else, either.
So he succeeded. Cole went abroad. They broke up.
And Warren and Cora entered the same college together.
Even then, Warren never thought he’d sacrificed anything.
The truth was simple. He just couldn’t live without Cora.
Three years later, the person standing beside Cora was finally him again.