Page 151 of Sincerely, Your Enemy

“…so beautiful.”

Oh.

My cheeks heat up, and I glance at my reflection in the passenger side mirror, a blush visibly spreading across my face.

“Y-You think so?”

TJ holds my gaze for an extra beat. “I know so.”

I look away, fidgeting with my phone. “Thank you.”

TJ swallows hard, his jaw flexing as he pushes the gear into drive and takes off. “Anytime.”

We drive in silence for what feels like an eternity, and I can’t bring myself to slash the awkward tension in half, my mind racing with anxiety and worst-case scenarios.

What if his mother hates me?

After all, I’m the daughter of the woman her ex married after her.

Although, I’m not sure what she expected Daniel to do. She kicked him out of the kids’ lives and basically refused to let him see them unless he provided full financial support. And she did all of this knowing damn well they were another man’s children.

God, I wonder what she said when TJ confronted her about all the lies she’s told him. Did she deny it? Own up to it?

She spent her entire life perpetuating a false narrative and blaming other people for her actions. She painted Daniel as this heartless, terrible person when all he’s ever done is take care of me and be a loving, present father figure in my life.

TJ grew up thinking that Daniel abandoned him, his own son. When all along, TJ wasn’t his to abandon.

“Did you ever talk to your mom? About… you know.”

TJ doesn’t answer right away, pausing for a moment before saying, “Yes, I told her everything.”

He says the next part under his breath, his voice so quiet I barely understand him. “I just wish she heard me.”

What does that even mean?

How could she not hear him? Is she deaf?

Or dead?

“You never answered my question. About your mom. Is she?—”

“No, she’s not. She’s very much alive,” he cuts me off.

Thank God.

“It doesn’t explain why you get weird whenever you talk about her. Or why you and Kelsea live alone or… why I’ve heard more about your aunt since I’ve known you than I have your mother.”

He blows out a breath. “Look, I know I’ve been keeping things from you, but you have to understand I didn’t even tell Theo and Chance until a few weeks ago, and they’re my closest friends. It’s not something I like to talk about. Mostly because everything changes once people know. I’m sorry I didn’t open up to you before, but it’ll all make sense soon, I promise.”

He’s obviously not ready to discuss this just yet. I could spend the entire car ride pressing him for answers, but something tells me it wouldn’t get me very far.

A half hour elapses, and by the time we reach the destination on TJ’s GPS, my anxiety is through the roof.

TJ pulls into a long driveway that’s lined by tall red oak trees, and I make out what seems to be the façade of a beige, three-story building in the distance.

“Where are we?” I ask.

TJ tenses up, a look of defeat painted across his face. It’s as though he knows he’s delayed this for as long as he possibly can, but it’s time to face the music.

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