Page 55 of All Our Secrets

“You still play then, King?” Steven asked.

“Nah,” I said quickly, peeking over at Peyton again. Her eyes lingered a second, and my shoulders sagged. She wouldn’t dare think I was her King after all these years. Saying anything to her now would be a betrayal to my best friend. So I had to start over again with her. Even though she made it difficult by being so determinednotto let me help her. But that was, again, my fault. I treated her coldly over the years to protect myself. The truth of it was, I hurt myself far more because of it.

But something about StevenknowingPeyton gamed seemed odd. Theodore hadn’t ever spoken to me about it. I supposed there was never a reason to talk about her habits, so why did Steven know?

“Don’t worry about the console. Let’s finish cleaning up outside,” I told Steven.

He huffed. “I came in here for a reason.”

Deborah, his first ex-wife, sighed. “Get your ass outside.”

Peyton and Sarah gave sneaky grins to each other before glancing at Steven’snewwife.

While they did that, I followed Steven out. My fingers itched to push him out the fucking door to hurry him along. I ran my fingers through my hair instead. The second the cabin door shut behind us, I asked, “How do you know Peyton gamed? Did she tell you?”

Steven’s forehead creased. “No, Theo told me. Said you and her used to game together.”

I stopped. My lungs ceased as my body felt like ice.Impossible.Theodore didn’t know. He would have told me.

Like I told him about being in love with Peyton?

“Theo said that?” I repeated.

“Yeah.” Steven smiled. “Why do you look so surprised?”

“When did he tell you that?”

“Why? Is it some big secret?”

“Steven,” I warned.

“A few years ago. He was drunk as fuck one night here at the cabin when he mumbled something about the two of you gaming together. That’s it.”

My stomach filled with acid.Theodore knew.I stumbled back a step. Then it clicked. I was too blinded by hurt back then to think things through. I mentioned my gaming friend Peytonconstantly.My world revolved around gaming during those years because it was the only way I had pieces of her.Peyton this. Peyton that.Even when he’d question my every breakup or fling, my answer would always be Peyton. Her name on my lips was normal.

That mother—

I stalked toward my truck.

“Hey, where are you going?” Devin called out.

“I’ll be back,” was all I could say as I got in my truck and drove to Peyton’s. I had to do thisnow, before she came home.

Chapter Twenty-Four:

that shocked?

Theodore

The house felt empty when Peyton and T.J. weren’t home. I never noticed how big my home was until I was trapped in its confines. Or how lonely.

I wondered how the fundraiser was going. No way King won in horseshoes without me. No fucking way.

Poking my head through my door, I sighed when I saw no sign of Peyton. Hopefully they’d be home soon. My family. The family that couldn’t see me…

At my gloominess, my transparent body flickered in and out as I made my way upstairs. Once in our bedroom, I spotted the picture of Peyton and our son on the nightstand and headed toward it. My fingers slipped right through it when I tried to pick it up. I tried again. And again.

When I tried to sit, I slipped through chairs, floors, the earth. I did nothing more than float, existing in a home where no one saw me. Except King… Why could he see me, yet my wife couldn’t?

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