Page 2 of All Our Secrets

It was like someone threw ice cold water over my head. I had forgotten about the dude she’d been seeing lately. Only Peyton would find a guy months after moving to a new state. People gravitated toward her. Something I learned over the years. No one ever disliked her, and if any of her friends had disagreements online, she was always the voice of reason. So it wasn’t surprising but—

I slammed my glass on the bar top, sloshing beer all over my hand. I sighed, and the bartender jumped.

It wasn’t the first time Peyton had dated since we’d become friends, and it wasn’t like I didn’t see women. But I was tired of tiptoeing around her. And all this fire inside of me? It kept growing, twisting, and molding, singeing my flesh and wrapping around my heart. When no one compared to the girl laughing in my headset each night, I realized I’d waited far too long. No one was going to erase the affection for the one I’d never met.

MOODYKING1: UR STILL SEEING HIM?

PEYBUNNY33: YES. I GOTTA GO. IT’S RUDE TO STAY ON THE PHONE WHEN ON A DATE.

I ground my teeth.

MOODYKING1: PEYTON.

PEYBUNNY33: I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO ASK FOR A LONG TIME, KING, SO DON’T TAKE THAT TONE WITH ME. AND JUST BECAUSE IT’S A MESSAGE, DOESN’T MEAN I CAN’T HEAR YOUR GROWLY ATTITUDE IN MY EAR. I’M DYING TO SEE IF YOUR FACE IS AS DULL AS YOUR PERSONALITY.

I smiled.

MOODYKING1: THIS WEEK. AND I DON’T GROWL.

PEYBUNNY33: TOMORROW. YOU TOTALLY DO.

MOODYKING1: YOU GOING TO TELL ME WHERE YOU MOVED?

PEYBUNNY33: YOU KNOW HOW SCARY IT IS THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW MY IDENTITY AND YOU’RE STILL MOODYKING IN MY HEAD??? YOU COULD BE A SERIAL KILLER.

PEYBUNNY33: AND YET… YOU’RE MY BESTEST BUD AND I LOVEEEE YOU!

MOODYKING1: BESTEST ISN’T A WORD.

PEYBUNNY33: YOU’RE SO LAME! BUT FILL UP YOUR TANK. YOU’RE DRIVING TO FENKIN COUNTY TOMORROW. BUT REALLY, I’M NOT RESPONDING ANYMORE. HE JUST ASKED WHAT I’M SMILING ABOUT. YOU KNOW HOW MY DATES GET WHEN THEY LEARN ABOUT YOU.

I dropped my phone onto the bar. A lump formed in my throat as the pit in my stomach grew big enough to swallow me whole.Too many coincidences.Peyton couldn’t be in Fenkin.Ilived in Fenkin. There was no way she’d lived here for months without me knowing. My fate wasn’t so cruel, was it? I thought almost dying in a house fire was the worst thing that would ever happen to me. What if I was wrong? Peyton wasmyperson, that precious treasure I looked forward to hearing from every single damn day, so—

Theodore asked me to meet him at Hank’s, which was why I was waiting by the bar. I had a feeling he was smitten with someone because I hadn’t heard from him much lately. Peyton said this dude had a friend named King, whom she was meeting tonight.

My head spun, and my mouth tasted like cotton. I stood abruptly, knocking the stool over. I had to get the fuck out of here. Maybe I was overthinking. Did she really say she’d moved to Kentucky? How many Fenkin Counties were there? Maybe I misread something.

Even as my thoughts spiraled, I knew I hadn’t gotten my facts wrong. When it came to Peyton, I memorizedeverydetail.

I rushed for the exit like everyone in the restaurant had the plague. If I left now, I could meet Peyton—myPeyton. I could let those sparks rolling behind our every conversation ignite when we met. I wouldn’t feel bad for taking Peyton because I could say I hadn’t known.

Stop.I swallowed.There’s no fucking way she’s actually with my best friend.

Sweat clung to my forehead.

Don’t do this to me, Theo. Not you.

“Hey, you need to pay for your drinks!” the bartender called from behind me.

“Fuck,” I swore and turned around.

I paid as quickly as I could. Rushing out of the bar, I was barely aware of my surroundings. I just needed to leave. I collided with someone as I opened the door. Someone petite enough that I saw nothing but the top of her head. Someone who smelled like pancakes and all things rich and sweet. My body turned to stone for a brief second before the first contact kindled that long overdue flame.It’s her.I knew it was her before she even glanced up. We bumped hard enough that she bounced off my chest. I caught her by the arms to keep her from falling, then our eyes locked.

And that became the best and worst moment of my life.

Her brown curls were wrapped atop her head messily. The freckles on her cheeks were pronounced, begging to be kissed and counted. My heart ricocheted off my chest. Peyton’s mousy brown eyes blinked up at me, then her lips parted, andI don’t want to stop this moment.I wanted to freeze time and lock it in a box because it was so profound. It wasn’t what I imagined. It was so much more. She looked into my eyes as I did hers. She didn’t react to the sight of my scars. Heat spread up my spine and neck the longer I held her there, staring, falling. Fallingso fucking hard.

There was so much I wanted to say, but…

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