Page 35 of Just Our Secret

He glanced around like everyone in the room had betrayed him, not just me, then stormed through the kitchen and out the back door. Andi was saying something—something about me bleeding, her voice thick and tears tracking down her cheeks.

Distantly, I thought I should be angry with him for making her cry, but I only knew one thing. My ribs ached, my cheek was wet with what was probably blood, but I had to go after him.

I jerked out of Andi’s hold, rushing past a handful of shocked relatives I didn’t see clearly. Even if I had, I wouldn't have said anything. I pushed out the door and jogged through the dead grass of the backyard to the door in the fence that led to the driveway.

Right there, we used to set up the top of the Slip ’n Slide in the summer. The small slope of the hill away from that little door meant if we propped it open, we could run the length of the driveway, dive onto the slide, and get top speed on the hill.

In the side of the garage I passed, we’d carved our names in the plaster with the Swiss Army knives we’d gotten for Christmas for our ninth birthdays.

Connor had been my best friend since I moved to Oakdale in second grade. We’d clicked, and for a while, we’d been the three musketeers with Chad, but it was me and Connor who were always the dynamic duo. We were each other’s ride or die—bad dates, lost car keys, broken curfews, late homework. When my parents’ marriage was on the rocks, he was there for me. When his mom had a breast cancer scare, I was by his side. When that bastard Chad had impregnated Andi and then left like the shit-eater he was—Connor and I had been through everything together, and I couldn’t lose him. I refused to believe we couldn't get past this.

Connor dropped into the driver’s side of his car as soon as I came around the corner. I scrambled for the passenger side handle, yanking it open a little too hard so it bounced back on the hinges. I ducked my head into the interior, one foot in the car as though that might keep him in place a little longer.

“Get thefuckout of my car,” he said, cranking the key in the ignition.

“Please, just give me a minute to explain.”

“I don’t listen to liars. I definitely don’t listen to people who take a big shit on my trust and betray me when they know damn well it’s wrong.” His grip on the steering wheel tightened.

“I love her. I love her and I’m in love with her and I would never do anything to hurt her.” I had no time for preamble or begging. He had to know the truth. That had to change things for him.

I wasn’t in this for a cheap thrill or the titillation of going behind his back. I wasn’t motherfucking Chad.

“Fuck you, you love her. Bullshit. You don’t care about anyone but yourself.” His sneer was so ugly, he hardly looked like himself. Except I’d seen him this angry, and I’d been right there with him last time.

But this was different. It was completely and totally different.

“That’s not true. I love her, and I love Liam.”

“You can take your precious pronouncements and shove them up your lying, traitorous ass, Baker.”

My heart sank. Something about him using my last name kicked at me—made it clear he was already looking at me like someone else. Someone less than his best friend.

“Please don’t make me choose between you. You’re my best friend. I know—”

“You have no choice to make. It’s done. We’re done.” He put the car in reverse and stared at me, some part of him unwilling to speed off while I was hanging onto his car with the door open.

So… that was something, at least.

“I love her, Connor. I’m not bullshitting you. I am not using her, and I’m not leaving. I’m not going to stop just because—”

“You should stop, you selfish fuck. And I should tell you to stay the hell away from my sister, but she’s a grown woman and obviously doesn’t give a fuck what I think anyway, so why bother? You knew what this would do to me, and you did it anyway.”

I swallowed, hating the rage and revulsion radiating off him. “I didn’t do it with the intention to hurt you. I know this is hard, it feels like before, but it’s nothing like that. If you give it some time, I think you’ll see I’m not Chad. I want only good things for Andi, and I didn’t do this to piss you off or hurt you. If anything, that’s why this took so long to happen in the first place.”

His eyes drooped and he slow-blinked. His jaw shifted forward, jutting out in obstinance. “How long. How long have you wanted to fuck my baby sister?”

My whole body chilled. That tone could freeze fire and the words weren’t Connor. He didn’t talk like that about Andi.

“Don’t say that. You know it’s not like that.”

“I don’t know anything anymore.”

He let his foot off the brake, and I jumped out of the way and slammed the door before he could accelerate. He zipped backward, then hit the gas and sped off.

I watched him go—watched his taillights flash as he stopped at the end of the street, then sped out of the neighborhood. I didn’t move at first, not sure what to do with myself. Jump in the car and go after him? Run back inside and check on Andi?

There was no point going after him. He might’ve planned to go back to our place, but that was a long drive, and odds were better he’d end up driving around until he knew I’d left and then come back here. Or at least I hoped so.

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