Page 10 of The Worst Kept Secret

Me: Yes!

TG: Good, I’m glad.

Me: Will you come get me?

He doesn’t answer right away and I resist the urge to text him again when I sense bouncing in my periphery. I turn to see Rory sipping what I think to be a rum and coke through a straw.

“Who are you texting?”

“No one.” I close the message and set my phone to sleep.

“Okay, you’re so full of shit,” she says through narrowed slits. “But why?”

“Rory…” I’ve come close to spilling the beans to her a few times. I haven’t because sometimes I can’t tell if she’s just as close to Lucas as she is to me and I worry she might accidentally slip up to him especially if she’s drinking. I wish I could tell her, but it’s just too risky.

“Are you seeing someone?”

“What? No.”

“Someone that lives here?”she pushes.

“Of course not.”

“Someone that may have been at your grad party?” She sings and my palms start to sweat.

“Like who?”

She shrugs. “You tell me.”

“I amnotinto Elijah, Rory.” I deadpan and she rolls her eyes in response.

“Obviously.”

My phone buzzes in my hand and I want to look at it but the thought of Rory catching who I’m texting makes me nervous.

“You’re hiding something!” She bumps her hip with mine.

“I am not!” I down the drink in my hand. “I have to pee,” I tell her. “Do you want to come?”

“No, I’m good,” she says and I bolt away from one of my best friends and her very prying eyes. I’m not even through the door of the bathroom before I’m opening his message.

TG: We shouldn’t do this.

My head falls back in frustration and an exasperated sigh leaves my lips as I try to figure out what to say. My phone buzzes again and a smile finds my lips at the unexpected words on the screen.

TG: I’m not saying I don’t want to.

Me: I want to.

The dots appear and then disappear twice before he replies.

TG: Can you get away easily?

Me: Yes. I’ll Irish goodbye!

TG: Your own graduation party? Everyone will notice you’re missing, and what if Lucas shows up at your house looking for you later?

Me: I’ll figure it out. Lucas won’t find out, okay? I know that’s what you’re worried about.

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