Page 146 of Sincerely, Your Enemy

“If that’s the case and his mom really is dead, then he must be down in the dumps right about now,” Dia deduces.

“I knowIwould be. I’m still not over losing my dad, so finding out he lied to me my entire life? That sort of news would destroy me.” I let out a groan of irritation and bury my face between my hands for a moment. “I’m still so mad at him, and yet… I can’t stop wondering if he’s okay.”

“Just because he hurt you doesn’t mean you stopped caring. It’s not that simple. And just because your love story didn’t get off to the best start doesn’t mean it can’t have a happy ending.”

The last part of her sentence tugs at my heartstrings, and I laugh to try and conceal the pain in my voice. “Can you even call it a love story if none of it was real?”

Dia’s eyes widen at my comment. “Wow.”

“What?”

“You really don’t see it, do you?”

I frown. “Don’t see what?”

“Girl, I mean this in the nicest, most loving way possible, but are youblind?”

This is not where I thought this conversation was going.

“It might’ve been fake at the beginning, but now? With the way TJ looks at you? You can’t make that shit up. Lacey, he loves you. It’s so damn obvious to every person who’s ever seen you two together. I know you’re afraid to believe anything he says,but you have to believe your own eyes. That boy is so hopelessly in love with you he doesn’t know what to do with himself.”

Her words knock the breath out of me.

I think that’s what hurt the most about all of this. The thought that everything was a lie, including his feelings for me. Once again, I had to accept that the man I had feelings for didn’t feel the same in return, and that only fed into the narrative I’d been entertaining my whole life.

That I would never be enough.

And I would only ever know unrequited love.

When Aaron blew the lid off this whole thing, a small part of me immediately went, “Yep, sounds about right.”Because I haven’t allowed myself to believe good things could happen to me since my dad died.

How could life possibly be kind to me… after it was so cruel?

I refused to believe TJ when he said his feelings were real, but Dia is making me rethink everything.

“Look, did he fuck up? Yes. Did he hurt you because he was battling his own demons? Absolutely. But don’t ever say he didn’t care because you and I both know that’s not true.”

I’m speechless, my mind racing with a thousand questions and possibilities.

“I don’t know what to do.” My voice breaks.

“That’s going to be your choice, but if you want my two cents, you can’t make a decision without getting the full picture first.”

She’s right. There’s something TJ hasn’t been telling me. I’ve known it for a while now.

Whatever he’s keeping from me is obviously a key part of his story. It’s as though everything falls into place when I look at my best friend.

“I need to talk to him. Get some answers,” I declare.

Dia nods, failing to conceal her smile. “Damn right you do. Now we just have to figure out the when and where?”

“Especially since he’s not answering my messages. I can hardly see myself showing up at his house uninvited.”

Finn pops his head into the doorway, startling me. “You didn’t hear it from me, but the guys are dragging him to Munchie’s for dinner tonight. They’re worried about him.”

I’m not even mad that Finn was eavesdropping. If anything, I’m glad he’s meddling. It might be the only way I’ll finally get some answers.

Dia and I exchange quick glances, communicating with a single look.

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