Page 126 of More To Us

"What about her?"

"Fuck." He stands up and walks over to the window. "You're still not going to tell me? I basically told you I already know and you still won't admit it?"

So he knows about Amber. She told me not to tell him so I didn't. So who did?

"Amber asked me not to tell you," I say.

I see his jaw clench as he gazes out the window at the cloudy sky. "Dylan's one of my closest friends. He's spent hours, weeks, months trying to find her. And you knew this. You knew he hasn't been able to move on. And this whole time you were living with her and said nothing." He looks at me, anger in his eyes. "I don't give a shit if she told you not to tell me. This is something that needs to be told. It's completely stupid to keep this a secret."

"Oh, so now I'm stupid?" I feel my own anger ramping up. I don't like his tone and the way he's looking at me, like he thinks I did this to hurt his friend.

"I didn't say you were stupid. I said keeping this a secret was stupid. You knew how much Dylan wanted to find her. You knew how much he's struggled to get over her."

"He's dating the head cheerleader for his college's football team," I remind him. "That doesn't seem like struggling."

Dylan started dating that girl a couple weeks ago. I've only met her one time. She's gorgeous, like model gorgeous, with blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a great body. Actually, now that I think about it, she kind of looks like Amber. Is that why Dylan is dating her? Because she reminds him of Amber?

"He's only dating Allison because he had to move on," Austin says. "He couldn't keep waiting the rest of his life for Amber. He already wasted five months searching for her, and it turns out, she's been here the whole time, living with my girlfriend." He turns back to the window and I see his neck move as he swallows.

"How did you find out?" I ask quietly.

"Amber told me. You were sleeping when I got here so Amber and I were talking. She thought I already knew, and when I told her I didn't, it was too late. She had to tell me."

"I wanted to tell you, Austin. I really did. But Amber is my best friend. She begged me not to say anything, so I didn't."

"And you and I aren't friends? After all the time we've spent together? All the late night talks? You still don't consider us friends?"

"Of course I do. You're more than a friend. But I didn't want to betray Amber."

"So you betrayed me. And Dylan."

"I'm sorry, okay? I thought I was doing the right thing. Amber has Matt, and I knew Dylan would find someone else. He has a million girls wanting to go out with him. I knew he'd eventually give up on Amber. And he did."

"He hasn't given up on her," Austin mutters, gazing out the window at the darkening sky. "Just last week, I caught him searching her name on the Internet. He shut it down when he saw me looking, but I already saw the search. He typed in Amber's name and New York."

"Then tell him. Just tell him she's here."

"I will. But first we have some other things to discuss."

I feel the heaviness in the air. I don't know what he's about to say but I just want him to say it and get it over with because I'm feeling really sick right now. I don't like this. I don't like the way he's acting or his tone or the fact that he's keeping his distance and won't even touch me. He's always touching me when we're together, even if it's just holding my hand. But now? Nothing.

"Kira." He sighs and drops his head. "Why can't you be honest with me?"

"I HAVE been honest with you. I—"

"You haven't. You haven't been honest. Just admit it."

"Are we still talking about Dylan? Because there isn't anything else to say. You already know the truth."

His head lifts and he looks me in the eye. "What else haven't you told me?"

I swallow and glance away, my heart pounding.

"What about your leg?" he asks.

I look back at him. "I told you I hurt my leg. I never lied about that."

"And that's all you have to say about it?"

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