Page 116 of Brim Over Boot
“Colton Darling? Is that you?”
“Eddie,” I say on a gasp. “I need to ask you something.”
“Yeah, all right,” he says slowly. “What’s up?”
I ease out a breath, feeling as if I might just jitter out of my skin. “Back in high school. Senior year. Do you remember a kid named Junior?”
There’s a long pause. “Sure, I remember.”
I look up at the ceiling as my vision swims. “You told me he didn’t show up.”
Another pause. Longer this time. “Yeah. I did.”
“Did you…”Ah, God. “Did you really do that to him?”
I don’t even need to spell it out. Eddie sighs, long and low.
“Why?” I ask, my voice catching.
“Christ, Colton. Isn’t this ancient history by now?”
“No, Eddie. It’s not. I’m dating the man.”
He sucks in a harsh breath.Fuck, I hope I’m still dating the man.
“Are you serious?” he finally asks.
“Yeah, I am. So explain to me why you did that because…”
Because I’m terrified I might have just lost Noah? Because all of thisshitthat’s been between us for the last fifteen years—the tension, the animosity, the goddamn rivalry—was from a conflict that never even happened in the first place?
Because he thinks I hated him. And I did. But I didn’t. I never hatedhim. I hated the way he saw me. The way herefusedto see me at all.
“Eddie,” I prompt, the both of us having fallen silent.
“Colton, fuck. I had a thing for you, okay? I liked you back then, and I didn’t want new competition hanging around.”
What? “I…I never realized.”
“No, I know,” he says a little harshly. “You were pretty oblivious, man.”
I shake my head. Still oblivious, it would seem. “What you did to him… Eddie, that wassoshitty.”
He lets out a sigh. “I know. I do, okay? Believe me. I’ve regretted it plenty.”
That sure doesn’t help me now.
“Do you want me to call the guy?” he asks. “I can call and apologize.”
“No,” I say weakly, knowing it wouldn’t do any good. “It doesn’t matter.”
“For what it’s worth, Iamsorry. And…congratulations, I guess?”
I huff a pained laugh. “Bye, Eddie.”
“See ya, Colton.”
I hang up, letting my phone fall to my bed. Following it down, I press my face into my sheets and scream.
