Page 67 of Choke Up

"It's not really my secret to tell."

"But he knows," she accuses, pointing at Antoni.

"There was an… incident. He found out by necessity."

"Now that I think about it, we should have figured it out way sooner. Weeks ago." Tyrell looks at Ivy. "Remember when Ellis disappeared at the club, only to reappear looking fully wrecked? With you know who?"

She gasps so loud it gets the attention of the other people still hanging around the common room. "No!"

She doesn't look upset anymore. She looks mind blown, and possibly amused. I can't read her through my panic. Gabe is going to freak out when he finds out they all know. I look down at his last message.

Gabe: Your turn, pretty baby.

Gabe: You alright?

"Yes!" Tyrell answers in the same astonished tone.

"Oh my God, WHO?" Jamie exclaims.

Sean leans over and whispers in their ear.

My hands cover my face as their mouth contorts into an astonished ‘o’. "No!"

"Yes!" Everyone but me answers. Then it's quiet again. Too quiet.

I peek between my fingers. "Quit staring at me! I feel like a museum display."

"You should probably be studied if you can take that thing," Tyrell says with raised eyebrows, before looking me up and down like he's assessing the size of me. Then he starts a slow clap. "I'm impressed."

"Oh! Let me see!" Ivy says, making grabby hands at my phone.

"Absofuckinglutely not!" I hold the phone to my chest, having just finished texting Gabe back that I'm fine, just surrounded by assholes.

"Killjoy."

Next to me, Tyrell is holding up his hands in an only slightly exaggerated size comparison. My palm meets my face.

"I hate all of you."

CHAPTER 28

GABE

Elliot's hand lands on my knee, stopping me yet again from bouncing it incessantly.

"What has you all worked up?"

"I'm not worked up. Just ready to be home. And I drank a Red Bull."

"Red Bull gives you wings."

"Gives my bladder wings, maybe."

Elliot huffs out a laugh, and I try to relax. I check my phone for the hundredth time since we landed, waiting for a confirmation from Ellis about where to meet me. I can't wait until after Elliot goes to bed tonight. I just can't. I missed him. I need him now.

Instead, there are a few missed texts from Krysta. I must make a face, because Elliot leans over to see what I'm frowning at. I tense, worried that Ellis will finally respond while his brother is looking over my shoulder. Note to self, we should give each other code names in our phones.

"You two get in a fight or something?"

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