Page 77 of Zero Chance

He went back to facing forward again, not responding to that.But the laughing, teasing Keene he’d been a moment ago was gone.Jaw tense, he glared at the back wall, stewing on his memories.

I gulped guiltily, knowing this was my fault.Parker—the guy I’d just lied to and betrayed, the guy who’d gotten my rapist put behind bars, the guy who’d carried my dying body into the hospital after I’d ODed—had kept his silence to Keene to protectmysecret.Now, they were both hurting and upset, and I could stop it, here and now.

Lifting my hand, I ran my thumb over my tattoo through the cloth of my sleeve and tried to boost my bravery enough to just yank the material away already and tell Keene the truth.My heart started to pound, my vision went fuzzy, and I feared I might actually pass out from the fear.But he needed to know.His friendship counted on it.

I opened my mouth, but it was suddenly so dry that at first nothing came out.I wet my lips and took a deep breath.

Only for Keene to say, “You know, he didn’t even fucking apologize for what he did to Younger.”

I pressed my lips together, realizing their argument went way beyond me.Exhaling slowly, I waited a moment before asking, “Did he have to?”

Keene swerved a dismayed glance my way.“He fucked Alec’s sister behind Alec’s back.What doyouthink?”

“I think Alec doesn’t seem as mad about it as you do,” I answered honestly.

Mouth falling open, Keene sputtered, “As if that excuses anything.I don’t care if she was dying andbeggedhim for it, he did it behind a friend’s back.And if he can be that cavalier about betraying one of us, how the hell canIever trust him again?”

“I mean…” I shrugged innocently before cringing and admitting, “I would think a decade’s worth of the friendship you two sharedbeforethat should be proof all on its own.”

“Hey,” he muttered, scowling at me for pointing out a truth he obviously didn’t want to hear.“Whose side are you on, anyway?”

When I clamped my mouth shut and went mute, he narrowed his eyes.

“Wait.Whose sideareyou on?”

Yours.Always.

But I shook my head, refusing to admit that.“I’m not on anyone’s side,” I mumbled.“I just—never mind.Be mad at him if that’s what makes you happy.I don’t care.”

Keene kept watching me, squinting curiously before he pointed.“You have his number.”

I blinked, utterly bewildered.“What?”

“Parker.He said, ‘Call me,’ as if you already had his phone number.And he said Waverly when he came in.Not Library Girl.Holy shit.”His eyes flared.“You twoknoweach other.”

I opened my mouth, but no words came.

Keene suddenly looked deceived.“How the hell do you know Ohrley that well?”he demanded.“Do you guys have, like…history together?”

I scoffed.“Not the kindyou’reimplying.”

But that answer only seemed to make him even more suspicious.“Then what kinddoyou have?Just how well do you guys know each other?”

“He…” My mind scrambled for some truth I could say that wouldn’t actually tell Keene anything.But I had nothing, so I just shrugged offhandedly and mumbled, “He helped me out of a scrape once.”

Or Twice.

At least three times now.

Fine.Parker Ohrley was basically my guardian angel.

I shook my head, though, trying to blow it off as unimportant.But when Keene set his attention on something that interested him it was nearly impossible to distract him from it.

“A scrape,” he repeated, frowning over the word.“What kind of scrape?”

Once again, I wasn’t sure how to answer; I sighed and glanced around at the exposed shelves on this side of the counter that were keeping us cozily tucked into our own little world back here.

Suddenly remembering last night in the gazebo, where it had also felt as if we’d been removed from the rest of humanity and no one else existed but the two of us, I shivered.A stir rose from the pit of my stomach that sent inappropriate heat to a couple of unmentionable parts, and I wanted to reach out and just rest my palm against his cheek.

---