Page 63 of The Lie
She stands there and glares at me. The Mila I used to know isn’t there anymore; she’s changed.
Everything.
“You ruined everything when you came back,” I yell. The words echo in my head.
“I’m sorry I kissed your brother, Jace. You were with Britney. We weren’t a couple; we were barely friends. You made that clear when you had her suck your dick for me to see. I understood loud and clear that you were angry. Everything else…it happened because of your actions. I didn’t ruin anything.”
Her voice breaks, and I want her to look at me. How can she say that it was all me? It started the day she came back.
Hunter wanted her, and now they’re this happy couple. Roman…I don’t even know where he fits in with them. But he’s touching her. He lets her touch him, and I have no idea how she even got him to do that.
I knew she would choose Hunter and Roman over me. Hell, if my brother wasn’t gay, she would have chosen him over me too. That’s why I invited Britney over and showed Mila I didn’t need her. I make my own choices.
I wasn’t going to be second best to my brother…again. I’m always one step behind. Grady 2.0, but the original is always better. Fuck, I bet she knew he was gay before me too.
Me and the boys had everything under control. We played amazing football. We hung out all the time. We went to parties. Played dumb drinking games and Xbox until we pass out. Life was perfect…before she came back.
“What do you want from me, Jace?” Her voice a broken whisper, and it has me stepping back.
I peer at my throbbing fist. This isn’t why I came here. Why do I get so angry.
“I want everything back to the way it was.”
She waits for a moment and looks at me before she answers. “Did you ever apologize to Grady?”
The fuck?
This isn’t just about Grady; it’s about Hunter and Roman. I don’t know how to stop whatever’s happening. I can’t get Hunter to talk to me unless it’s on the field. He refuses to look at me when we pass in the halls. Roman doesn’t even grunt at me anymore.
“Did you?”
What?Grady…what has this—Fuck it.
“I said I was sorry, and he just keeps ignoring me.” Like everyone in my life does; even my own parents aren’t speaking to me more than they need to. They’re angry at me for what went down, but I didn’t do anything wrong.
“You said you’re sorry and think that fixes everything?” She shakes her head at me like I’m the bad guy.
I know I’m not the bad guy. I didn’t out Grady to everyone; that was Britney. I didn’t kill someone; that was Mila.
“Britney took something very important from him—his identity. She had no right to do that, and you just let it happen. In front of everyone. Did you ever think to ask him why he didn’t tell you? Why his own brother found out the same way everyone else did?”
I don’t answer her. I didn’t let it happen—it happened all on its own. What was I supposed to do? If I’d known, then at least there was a chance I could have stopped her. I guess I was surprised and didn’t know what to say.
“Because he wasn’t ready.” She throws her hands up. “It was his choice. If he wanted to tell you. Or everyone. Or no one at all. That’s his choice. He makes it and only him.”
“I don’t know what to do,” I say, defeated. I came over here for answers.
Why did she kill Roman’s dad?
Why is Hunter kissing her against her locker, and why is Roman holding her hand like he can’tnotbe touching her?
Yet, all she wants to talk about is my brother.
Fuck that. I want to know what really happened.
“You need to fix what’s broken between you and your brother. Go to Grady and just listen to him. Even if he’s not ready to talk, sit beside him and show him you care. I know he’s hurting. He hates that there’s a rift between you, and I hate that for you too.”
Did she tell him that? Why does he talk to her and not me? I apologized, and I meant it. I’m sorry that it happened.
