Page 32 of Sins and Secrets

He shuts the door as the steps get louder, leaving me alone in the room.

“Oh, Lukas, when did you get here?” It’s Angie’s dad. He always sounds cheerful, harmless, wholesome.

But my thighs are soaked, and I’m standing cold and alone in a bathroom. And I don’t like it at all. And right now, I’m not sure I like Angie’s dad all that much.

“Hi, Richard. A little while ago. Dropped my stuff off and was about to go to the bar and unwind for a bit. Travel makes me all edgy.”

“Have fun enjoying seaside bars that overcharge for watered-down beer.” His footsteps get louder. He’s right across from my room, “Hmm, Waverly’s supposed to be here. Have you seen her?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure if you were going to make it this year. Your trips out here are getting shorter.”

Lukas laughs. “Yeah, well, I’m working and it’s a lot harder to get the time off.”

Richard huffs a little as he walks away. “If you see Waverly, tell her to turn the lights out when she leaves. Electricity isn’t free, you know.”

“I will.”

The bedroom door at the end of the hall squeaks open and shut. What the hell was the last five minutes? He gets me all hot and horny and throws me in a bathroom and lies about seeing me?

My fears and insecurities chill me more than my barely-there T-shirt. It’s not real. Years of text messages and late-night phone calls. Whispers of promises. All meaningless. He opens the bathroom door and freezes.

“What’s wrong?”

“You lied.” I expect lies from my family, even Angie and Adam, but Lukas was supposed to be different. Rubbing my hands against my arms to warm up, l count the tiles on the floor. “Is it all a lie? For years now we’ve been hooking up over the summer in secret. And every time we’re about to get caught, you hide me away.”

“Oh, love.” He rubs his eyes with the palms of his hands. “From the moment my plane lands at home, I’m miserable because it’ll be a year before I can see you again. Digital contact is empty compared to holding you.”

I want to believe him, yet the fear in the back of my brain gnaws away at my hope. “Then why are you hiding me?”

“They hate me,” he points vaguely to the hallway.“But they love you. And I won’t do something that will damage your reputation.”

“I don’t care.”

He gives me a broken-hearted smile. “Yes, you do. Maybe if you were closer with your other family, you wouldn’t need Angie’s so much. But you care about them.” He steps closer and puts his hand on my check. “And I care about you.” His lips press softly against mine. And I believe him.

ChapterFifteen

Lukas

I’m at home,sketching a design to send to Grae, the celebrity client I’m meeting in a week. Frantic pounding on my door makes me jump, creating a huge line across the sketch. Blinking at my marred work, I grumble as I cross the room. There better be a dead body somewhere, because that’s the only reason I would expect this sort of intrusion.

Fuck. It’s Waverly. And she’s early.

“Can I come in?”Her hand jammed in the pockets of her puffy coat.

I step aside and blurt out, “Want some cookies? I haven't eaten all the cookie dough yet.”

Shit. I invited her over. I should’ve had a better plan than this.

Her eyes drift around in an unfocused haze.As I head to the kitchen, she makes her way to my couch, flops on it, and pulls her knees to her chest. Whatever she’s about to say, I let her sift through her emotions while I break off a few clumps of the frozen cookie dough mass. I drop them in the air fryer and return to my living room. She looks small and hurt. I should be pissed at my brother, but I’m in a constant state of rage toward him and I can’t muster up any more. Instead, I focus on her.

She doesn’t give me time to speak as her anger spews out. “I’m twenty-six, not sure what I like, and ashamed. Well, my life blew up, so fuck shame. I went to Alana, who’s a woman you go to war with, not against, and she said we needed to talk.”

“And what did she suggest we talk about?”

“Being honest about what I want”—Waverly takes a deep breath in—“sexually.”

---