Page 41 of Wild Hearts

But my pent-up anger, the rage I’ve been clinging on to like a life preserver since my father walked out on us last week had hit a breaking point.

“You’re not the only girl that wants to be with me, you know,” I snapped, turning my back to her. “Plenty of girls are willing to be with me out in public. They don’t feel the need to hide me like some dirty little secret.” Wren choked out a sob, but all I saw was red. “You’re just as bad as he is, wanting to sneak around behind everyone’s back. Is it just the thrill of the chase? Do you even care about me at all?”

“Brady–” She was fully crying now, tears streaking down her cheeks. But the pain and guilt of hiding yet another relationship from everyone I loved was eating me up, and I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Either we tell everyone that we’re together or it’s over. I can’t keep my feelings for you a secret anymore. I need someone who wants to be with me.”

I held my breath, hoping she would see how much it hurt me to give her that ultimatum. Hoping beyond hope that she would tell me she needed me as much as I needed her.

Her shoulders shook as tears streamed down her face, but she didn’t give me what I wanted. She didn’t choose me.

I wasn’t good enough for her. She didn’treallywant to be with me, not if she wasn’t willing to tell anyone that we were together.

“Get out.”

“Wh-what?” She swiped at her tears. “Brady, where is this coming from?”

A strange sense of calm washed over me, and I lowered my voice. “If you’re not ready to stand up in front of everyone tonight and tell them we’re together, show me that you actually want to be with me, then you need to get out of my room.”

I don’t know what I expected from her, but the moment she ran out of my room crying, I rushed into the bathroom across the hall and puked my guts out. What had I done? I’d pushed away the one good thing I had in my life right when I needed her the most, that’s what I did. Right after my dad chose his secret life over his real one. I was a fucking asshole. I didn’t deserve her.

When I finish filling Jordan in on everything that happened, he just stares at me.

“Wow,” he finally says. “What the hell were you thinking, man? Why’d you say those things to her?”

My stomach drops as his words validate how much of a bastard I was.

“No wonder she’s been keeping away from you, B.” He clips me over the back of the head. “She’s grown up crushing on you, watching you hook up with different girls every summer, and then you basically tell her she’s replaceable.” He shakes his head. “That’s cold.”

I groan. “I’m aware of how much of an idiot I am. Thanks, mate.”

“So, how are you going to fix it?” I shrug. I have absolutely no idea. Jordan nudges me. “An apology might help.”

I wince. I feel like that’s all I’ve been doing since she moved to Blue Haven. My name is called, and I clear my throat before standing up. “This stays between us.”

“Yeah, of course.”

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