Page 51 of Filthy Little Secret

“He’s gonna be coming down in a minute. Can we get out of here so I don’t have to see him again tonight? I’ll go ahead. Just meet me out front.”

He continues down the stairs.

* * *

“You okay?” I ask.

“Been better.”

We walk through the woods behind campus. It’s a reclusive spot. I come here sometimes to think. We’re not supposed to be here this late, but I’m never supposed to be here. It’s a secluded park behind campus reserved for students and teachers, not leeching drug dealers.

Shining our way with my iPhone flashlight app, I duck under a branch, and he follows until we step out beside a creek.

“You come here often?” he asks.

“It’s where I bring all my little glory holes.”

He chuckles, and I’m pleased. He hasn’t been very talkative, let alone relaxed since his chat with Greg. I don’t press. Let him come around in his own time. If he has something he wants to share with me, he will.

I lead him to a log beside the creek and sit on it.

“Sorry, it’s not the grandest of places, but it’s a nice hideout when you’re trying to get away from the city. Not many quiet places like this.”

He sits down beside me.

“It’s cool. Greg took me on a walk around here when we first started seeing each other.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine.”

He’s quiet. We sit in silence until he says, “I think I kinda deserved it. The cheating.”

“No one deserves to be cheated on,” I say.

“I was so fucking naïve when we started going out. After like a week of seeing each other, he gave me his class ring. So cute, right? He’s always very romantic with his gestures. I never liked stuff like that, but he did, and silly me, I thought that meant something. Turns out it was all just a production that he puts on. I guess by working so hard to impress me he blinded me to everything else. I thought he was so in love with me. I wasn’t in love with him, though. I thought I was, but I think I just loved how much he loved me. How much I thought he loved me. And when I found out the truth, I felt duped.”

“That makes sense.”

“Why are people so terrible?”

“Look who you’re asking.”

“You ever cheated on someone?” he asks.

“I’m pretty honest about what I’m looking for, so no.”

“Maybe that’s the best way to be.”

“I don’t think so.”

“I’m surprised to hear that coming from you.”

“It’s lonely like this. Never really getting close to anyone. Never opening up. Never trusting.”

“You trust, you get hurt,” Mark says.

“You never get hurt, you never really live.”

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