Page 74 of All Your Pucking Secrets

His pale gaze holds mine, burning with a passion I remember well, but the level of intensity is more than I ever witnessed from him in the past. We were crazy about each other, but our relationship wasn’t the only thing that mattered. I get the feeling that for Tyler, that’s changed.

“I was trying to protect you,” he replies.

I look down at the fork, unable to bear the intensity of his gaze for any longer. A lump forms in my throat. He was trying to protect me?

On what planet does crushing my heart and publicly humiliating me somehow protect me?

“You—” I cut myself off before I finish snapping at him. It won’t achieve anything. I came here to listen, so listen I will. “Go on.”

He inclines his head, the slant of his mouth showing that he recognizes my restraint. “My father was abusive.”

“I suspected as much,” I admit.

“I know you did.”

“He’s dead?” I haven’t yet acknowledged this to him.

“Yeah, and good riddance.”

My eyes widen at his vehemence. But then, I don’t have an abusive parent. My mom is wonderful, so I can’t understand what he went through growing up.

He touches the moon hanging from the chain around his neck and rubs it between his fingers. “The day before prom, he found out about us.”

My breath catches. “How?”

And what had he done to Tyler to punish him for disobeying one of his edicts by dating someone?

“Somehow, he made the connection that we’d been at the hotel. He, uh, got his hands on my phone and the messages made it obvious who I’d been there with.”

My hand twitches, oddly eager to reach for his. “He must have been furious.”

He makes a weary sound. “That’s an understatement.”

I try to put the pieces together, but I still don’t see how they fit. “So, because of that, you stood me up?”

He shakes his head, his lips pressed into a firm line. “Dad knew you were at school on a scholarship, and that you were hoping to get a full scholarship for college. He threatened to have your scholarship revoked if I didn’t end things with you. He was on the school board, so he could have made it happen.”

My mouth falls open. “What?”

I’d wondered what might happen if Mr. Kinsey found out about us. I’d have been a fool not to. But I always feared more for Tyler than myself. I’d never thought he’d find a way to punish me for our relationship.

His jaw tightens. “He said he could get your mom fired as the school cleaner too, and if he spread the word to his friends, she wouldn’t have been able to find work anywhere.”

Even though dozens of questions sit on the end of my tongue, I remain silent, digesting everything he’s said. I believe him. I can imagine Mr. Kinsey making exactly that kind of threat. Whether he had the pull to follow through on it, I’m less sure of, but Tyler clearly believed he did.

“He also…” He reaches across and touches my knee. I flinch, taken by surprise, and his face falls. “Sorry. I just wanted you looking at me, so you’d know I’m being honest.”

“I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine. I get it.” But he looks devastated. “Dad also told me he could make it impossible for you to get a college scholarship. I don’t know what he would have done, but if he’d come up with some bogus charge against you, no college would have looked at you twice.”

I’m beginning to understand the situation he was in. Even if I can see potential flaws in Mr. Kinsey’s threats, he’d mentally, emotionally, and physically abused Tyler for years. Of course, Tyler wouldn’t doubt his ability to follow through.

“Or…” He nibbles his lip. “He said he could make sure you’d have a full scholarship that would get you through your undergraduate degree. Housing, course fees, everything. All I had to do was end it.”

“So you did,” I say quietly.

“Yeah.” He glances at his meal, which is steadily growing cold. “It wasn’t just that though. I was afraid of what he might do to Mom or Soraya if I refused. Or to you. He might not have stopped at sabotaging your schooling.”

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