Page 53 of Undeniable

Forrest didn’t seem sold, though, still staring daggers at his used-to-be best friend.

“Are y’all hanging out again?”

I scoffed, but he looked at me like he expected an answer and wasn’t going to let me off the hook without it. “No, we’re not hanging out. I only gave him a ride because his car was stolen and he had no other way of getting here. We can’t stand to be around each other.”

Forrest nodded, but my words didn’t have the bite they once did, as if I didn’t totally believe it myself.

“Good, because you’re not good for each other. And what he did—”

I picked up a roll of streamers and threw them at him, hitting him directly in the side of the head.

“Hey! I’m just looking out for you.”

“That’s very sweet of you, but I can handle myself. Besides, you… you don’t know the whole story.”

He rolled his eyes, a gesture we both shared an affinity for and handed me back the streamers. “No, but I know enough of it. I know he broke your heart. Like I knew he would.”

And there it was. There was a reason I strayed from topics involving James. Because every time he was mentioned, the same familiar ache in my chest liked to rear its ugly head. It was easier to pretend it was completely gone if I never spoke of him or our past. But it was only pretending.

There were some wounds that not even time could heal.

“Forrest,” I warned, “It’s in the past.”

“Fine,” he conceded, but then a thoughtful look passed over his face, and I knew I wouldn’t like what was about to come out of his mouth. “Does Brendon know?”

My hands froze, the table I was trying to set up tumbling to the ground before I could catch it. I fumbled to stand it up once more and ignored the smirk on Forrest’s face.

“I’m assuming that’s a no,” he mocked and took the table from my hands.

“For once, your assumption is correct.”

“Are you going to tell him?”

He finally helped me straighten the table, and I left him to do it himself, crossing my arms over my chest and trying my hardest not to look to my right, where I knew James was still working. Or to search the rest of the school grounds to find wherever Brendon was.

“There’s nothing for me to tell, so stop acting like there is.”

“People have already begun to assume something is going on between you and James, so he will probably assume the same thing…”

I groaned and covered my face with my hands. If it were possible to disappear, I would’ve wished for it a long time ago.

“There is nothing going on! There’s no reason for him or anyone else to assume anything. God, this town. You give them an inch and they make it some scandalousE! True Hollywoodstory.”

Forrest raised his hands in mock surrender. “Fine. But have you talked to James at least?”

“No. As I said, we can’t stand to be around one another. Not a lot of time to have in-depth conversations like that. And besides, why does he have to know? He didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“So, you’re not planning to tell him?”

I sighed, annoyed by the conversation and trying to once again busy myself with setting up my booth. There was still too much to do. “I guess I’ll have to eventually, otherwise someone else will. And I’d prefer it come from me.”

It was another conversation I was trying to put off for as long as possible. I still didn’t believe I owed James anything, especially an explanation about what I was up to after we parted ways, but if I didn’t tell him, someone else would and it was news that was better off coming from me.

“I think that ship has sailed, sis.”

“Why?” I asked, oblivious to his tone and comment while shuffling through a box with leftover paint and brushes that was precariously balanced on top of several other boxes.

“Because your two exes are currently catching up.”

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