Page 20 of Where the Darkness Goes

That’s right. She’s leaving. She’s going away again, and I can’t stop her. “When do you leave?”

“I’m freelancing, so technically I can stay for a while, but I don’t like to leave my house for too long. Realistically, I plan to leave in a day or two. I just want to see Will before I go back.”

“Maybe a day or two is all you’ll need.” I bump her arm with mine. “Either way, you have a place here as long as you need it.”

She draws one side of her mouth in. “Britney wouldn’t have done this.”

She doesn’t seem to be looking for a response to that, and I’m not sure I have one, so I just reach across the console and squeeze her hand. “You know I’m here, right?” I’ll leave it at that, let her take what meaning from it she will.

Her smile is soft and sad when she looks up at me, her hazel eyes locking with mine. “I know.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

TESSA — AGE 17

I’m walking out of the school and toward the parking lot when hands fall over my eyes, cloaking me in darkness. I squeal, grabbing the fingers to pull them away, when I feel his breath tickle my ear.

“Happy birthday.”

A wave sweeps through the lowest part of my stomach. “Garrett?”

He drops his hands with a laugh, and I twirl around to face him. “You sound surprised.”

“Not in a bad way,” I tell him. “I just thought you were Brendan.”

His shoulders fall, and he drops his gaze to his hands. “Oh. Right. I saw you guys hanging out at my party, but I hadn’t seen you together since.” When he looks back up, he’s squinting one eye from the sun. “Are you, like, dating him or something?”

I smile to myself. While we haven’t actually said what we’re doing, it kind of feels like that. I wonder what Brendan has told him about us. “I mean, we…well, yeah. I think so. Sort of.”

“You think so, sort of?” His dark brows pinch together.

“Well, we didn’t say we’re boyfriend-girlfriend or anything, but we’ve been talking on the phone at night lately, and he walks me to class most days and sat beside me in church last week.”

“Right,” he says, glancing back at the school. “Well, cool, I guess.” His tone is flat, almost like he’s annoyed. He’s never really talked to me like this.

“What? You don’t think it’s a good idea? I thought you guys were friends.”

“No. It’s not that. He’s, I mean, it’s whatever. It’s not like I spend any time thinking about your love life.” He scowls, and now I feel dumb. This isn’t Britney. Garrett doesn’t care about whom I’m dating any more than Will does. “What are you doing for your birthday?”

My cheeks heat with flames of excitement. I finally have actual plans to share when he asks this. “I’m going to Britney’s parents’ cabin at the lake. They’re letting us spend the whole weekend up there alone.”

“Oh?” His eyes study me, and I know he can read my guilt like a book.

I cover my face and rush out the words. “Okay, and Brendan might stop by. No big deal. Like you said: boring.”

Something twitches in his jaw. “That sounds like a really big deal, actually. Does your mom know?”

“No, and you can’t tell her.” I warn him, wagging my finger in his direction. “Swear to me you won’t tell her.”

“Why should I?”

His harsh tone surprises me. Garrett has never been cruel to me. He teases me, sure, but he’s always been a friend first. And I’ve lied to Mom for the boys so many times.

He pinches his nose between his fingers. “Look, I won’t tell your mom. Duh. You know me better than that. Have you at least told Will?”

“No. It’s none of his business. Besides, it’s not like anything is going to happen. We’re just hanging out.”

“Fine. Then we’re coming, too,” he says, his voice as firm as if he’s stamped the words right into the concrete below us.

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