Page 28 of Sins of a Rebel

“Right now?” I ask.

We still have so much planned before the end of the summer. I hate the thought of my best friend leaving so fast when we both need each other.

In the end, I know it’ll be too hard to stay in Carolina Beach when she’s forced to live in the same house as Brix. I try to convince her to stay with me even for the night, but she declines, wanting to get the drive over with since she won’t be able to sleep.

She stays a few more minutes, thanking me for the ibuprofen and water. Before she takes off, we make plans for me to visit her soon so we can hit up their nightclubs and check out some upcoming concerts in the area.

I toss and turn all night, unable to fall asleep. It wasn’t until almost four in the morning when I finally succumbed to exhaustion, and sleep pulled me under. It’s short-lived, though, because when pounding on the door wakes me, I find a disheveled Brix standing at my door.

I’ve never seen Brix like this. You’d think he got hit by a semi. His shirt is wrinkled like he plucked it off the floor and pulled it on with his denim jeans. His boots are untied as if he shoved his feet into them and couldn’t be bothered with lacing them before taking off to my house.

“Is she here?” he asks. His voice twists in pain, cracking on the word she.

“Awfully brave of you to come over here alone.”

“Kyla, please. I need to talk to her.”

“You don’t deserve to speak to her ever again.”

“What did she tell you?”

“Something about a bet between you and Tysin. Is that all we were to you two? Some bet?”

“What?! No, it had nothing to do with you. I swear. It was stupid, okay? He was razzing me the night she came into town after she rejected me. He thought it was hilarious that she wanted nothing to do with me after I hit on her.”

“So, what? You made a bet with him to prove you could get with her? You’re a fuckin’ prick, Brix. You know that?”

“I know, okay? I don’t deserve her, but you need to help me find her. I need a chance to talk to her, to explain everything.”

“It’s too late.”

His face drops, and he shakes his head. “What do you mean it’s too late?”

“She left. She went back to school. It’s over. She’s gone.”

He drags his hands through his hair, pacing back and forth across my porch before bending over. He drops his head between his shoulders, his body trembling with emotion.

I almost feel bad for him for a second, but I shove the thought out of my mind.

“Why did you do this in the first place? If you’re so upset about her leaving, why put yourself in the position to lose her at all?”

“I didn’t expect to fall in love with her, Kyla.”

He stands, his hair sticking up on top. I suspect this isn’t the first time he’s run his hands through his hair in frustration.

“It still doesn’t answer the question. Why would you do this to her, Brix?”

“I wasn’t thinking at the time. If I could go back to that night, don’t you think I’d tell Tysin to take his bullshit comments and shove them up his ass? I was pissed off, and she hated me, and it killed me to see how unaffected she was around me.”

I snicker. “The arrogant and self-centered Brix finally gets a taste of his own medicine.”

He swallows hard, his throat bobbing, and he nods. “I guess you’re right.”

“Why didn’t you come clean to her before she found out?”

“I wanted to, Kyla. I tried, trust me, I tried. How do you tell someone you love a secret you’ve kept from them when you know it’ll crush them and ruin everything?”

He had a point. As hard as it would be to tell her, he had to know he risked losing her once he did.

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