Page 6 of The Confidentiality Clause
“Try not to spend the night here, okay?” I say as I pick up the bag, leaving behind the bread for him.
“I don’t sleep here,” he replies, but his defensive tone has me thinking otherwise.
My eyes land on the couch nearby. There’s a blanket strewn over the back, along with a few pillows tucked against the corners. I pick up one of the cushions to confirm my suspicion. There’s metal that will fold out into the base of a bed.
“Is that why you bought a futon? Tonotsleep on it?” I ask him with a raised brow.
He ignores me.
“Look, I know you hate me right now, but you should take a second and think about your life, Brock. Is this what you want to look back on?”
He doesn’t say anything. His gaze stays glued on the document in front of him. I lift up a hand in exasperation and let it fall backto my side. It’s been a long night. I need cheesecake and sleep before I deal with his attitude.
I turn around to walk out of his office. His voice has me stopping in the doorway.
“I don’t hate you,” he says quietly. “You drive me crazy, but I couldn’t hate you, Duke.”
A small smile stretches my lips in spite of how difficult he’s been. “Nice to know.”
I glance over my shoulder at him. He looks much older than he should with the dark circles under his eyes and the lines around his downturned mouth. Sympathy pokes at my big, dumb, caring heart.
“I don’t hate you either, Carolina,” I whisper back.
A ghost of a smile pulls at his lips, but he doesn’t say anything in response. I watch him for a moment longer, then head out the door. The closer I get to my car, the more I begin to regret the deal we made. It was one of my more impulsive decisions, that’s for sure. But when I looked into Brock’s tired eyes, something stopped me from sharing his secret. I despise the thought of lying to my best friend. I’m tempted to call Sutton and tell her everything. The only thing stopping me is that I gave my word.
Growing up, my dad put a strong emphasis on not making promises you didn’t intend on keeping. I still remember when I got distracted hanging out with Sutton and forgot to stop by the store on the way home to get milk like I told him I would. He told me that while getting milk is a small promise, breaking it paved the way for easily severing bigger ones in the future. I took that lesson to heart, which means I can’t go back on the deal with Brock unless he does first.
I get in my car and pull out my phone. A text from Sutton glares up at me in the darkness.
Sutton: How is he?
My head tips back against the headrest. There are so many words I could say to answer that question.
Ariel: He’s insufferable, as per usual. I don’t think you need to worry too much. He ate, and seemed like he was on his way out when I left.
I cringe as I type the last part. Brock is nowhere near leaving. I shouldn’t have said anything. At the same time, I know she would keep worrying if I didn’t. A half truth might be a whole lie, but it makes me feel better about what I’m doing all the same.
Sutton: Okay, thanks for going by there. Hopefully you showing up knocked some sense into him.
I laugh at the notion.
Ariel: His head is too thick for that, but I did try. I threw a bread roll at him.
Sutton: See, this is why we’re friends.
Sutton: Seriously, though, thank you. You’re the best friend a girl could ever ask for.
My stomach drops. A sour taste coats my mouth. She says the same thing about Brock. He’sthe best brother a girl could ask for. I’m sure she wouldn’t say that if she knew we were both lying to her.
Ariel: I don’t know about that.
Sutton: Well, I do! Love you, Ari <3
I sigh. My whole body feels heavy from the weight of secrets. This is going to be even more difficult than I thought.
Ariel: Love you too, S <3
I really hope I’m not making a huge mistake.
