Page 61 of Whisper of Surrender (Whisper Lake 2)

“Ruff,” Dumbass barked because he sensed that his mom was getting excited.

“See, even Dumbass knows.” Ali scratched the dog behind his ears.

Jess shook her head. That couldn’t be true. Ethan was too straightforward. Which was why, even though Ali had always insisted that he had feelings for her, Jess had never truly believed it. “If Ethan had feelings for me, he would’ve said something.”

“Okay. So let’s play that out. Two months ago? Six months ago? A year ago? Hell, five years ago, Ethan comes to your house, or runs into you at the Gas ’N Go, or sees you at a festival and asks you out, what do you say?”

Jess knew the answer, but she didn’t want to say it because she hated being wrong.

“Speaking of which, why have you always acted like you don’t like him when obviously, you do?”

“I was mad at him, and I held a grudge.”

“About what?”

“It was stupid.”

“Most grudges are.”

“Do you remember freshman year when I got sent home the first day of school because I passed out in the hallway?”

Ali nodded slowly.

“He was the one that ratted me out. He found me in the hallway and he promised not to tell anyone about—”

Ali clasped her hand over her mouth and began shaking her head.

“What?” Jess asked.

“He didn’t tell, I did.” Her words were mumbled behind her palm.

“You did?!”

“Yes.” She nodded and dropped her hand. “When you came back to first period and said you’d passed out, I got scared, so I went to tell the nurse before second period. I know you didn’t want anyone to know, but I was scared that you were going to die because you wanted to go to school.”

“I can’t believe all these years I thought…and it was you.”

“Sorry. But at least now you know that you can’t be mad at him about that. You can be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad at you.” Jess sighed. “And I’m not mad at him. I think I was embarrassed that he found me like that. And being angry that he betrayed me was just an excuse I used because I liked him and it freaked me out.”

“Then that’s good news,” Ali exclaimed.

“How is that good news?”

“Because, now that you’ve admitted how you feel, to yourself, that means that you guys can actually be together.”

“I still don’t know how he feels.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t.”

“You’re too close to the situation. Take yourself out of this equation. Look at his behavior objectively. He starts running by your house, shirtless. Patrolling the area around your shop at the time he knows you close. Randomly showing up at events we both know he wouldn’t have gone to—”

“What events?” Jess asked, skeptically.

She lifted her hand and started counting on her fingers. “The art exhibit. The film festival. The ballet. The NSYNC/BSB cover band-”

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