Page 13 of A Little Secret

“Say it, Fin.”

Her gaze darts up to mine. “I can’t be friends with you anymore.”

The words hit like a sucker punch, and I jerk back. I expected…something, but I never expected this. Not after everything we’ve been through. “What?”

“I said,”—she takes a deep breath—“I can’t be friends with you anymore.”

“Why the hell not?”

Her tongue darts out between her pretty pink lips as she squares her shoulders. It’d be comical if her words weren’t a knife to the ribcage. “Drew and I, we both think?—”

A bark of laughter escapes me. “Are you serious right now?”

Mother. Fucker.

I knew he had something to do with this. I fucking knew it. That controlling asshole has been the bane of my existence since the moment Finley gave him her number all those years ago. How does she not see it? How does she not realize how fucking toxic he is for her? The guy has made her cry more times than I can count, yet she still bends over backward at every. Fucking. Whim. Which honestly, considering the backbone on this girl, makes zero sense at all.

Is she really this stubborn?

“Griff.” She touches my arm, but I shift away from her.

“Of course, he has something to do with this.” I scrub my hand over my face. “Of course he does.”

“Look, you have to understand where he’s coming from,” she begs. “If you had a girlfriend who was really close with a guy?—”

“We’ve been friends forever,” I remind her. And I mean it. Literally. Since the day her brother and I were born, we were inseparable. Then Finley, Ophelia, and my little sister came into the picture, and the saga continued. Some families are tight. Ours? Ours is steel. Not just woven together but hammered into one. One family. One unit. Unbreakable. Unwavering.

Her attention falls to her feet, and a glint of hope ignites inside me.

Maybe.

Maybe I can get to her.

Maybe I can help her see how shitty he is for her. Now, he’s asking her to give up relationships for him? It’s bullshit. She has to see this.

Doesn’t she?

Nostrils flaring, I exhale slowly, trying to keep myfrustration in check as I repeat, “We’ve been friendsforever, Fin.”

“I know,” she whispers. But she doesn’t look at me.

Why won’t you look at me?

“You think we can just…shut it off?” I squeeze my hand into a fist at my side. “We live under the same roof, Fin. We attend the same family functions. My best friend is your older brother, and your best friend is my little sister.” I lean back on my heels, giving her space and taking in her profile as she stares blankly in front of her like I’m not even here, and fuck if it doesn’t sting. “You really think you can avoid me?” I ask. “Write me off like I’m nothing? Like our relationship is nothing?”

“We can…we can keep our distance for a little while, you know? Nothing crazy?—”

My scoff cuts her off. I drop my head back and stare at the ceiling, attempting to get a handle on shit, but the girl’s making it difficult.

“I love him, Griff,” she whispers.

The words scrape against my skin like sandpaper, and my head falls forward. How does she not. Fucking. See it?

“Have a good night, Fin.” I push away from her, then head toward the exit, knowing she won’t even bother to watch me walk away. Why would she? Her boyfriend forbade it.

Bullshit.

CHAPTER FOUR

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