“Yeah, just an upset stomach. Probably too much candy yesterday.”
“Do you want me to get you something?Pepto? Ginger ale?” The concern on his face is apparent, replacing whatever it is that I’ve been looking at for the past hour. “You can lie down in my room if you want. Or I can drive you home?”
“That’s okay.” I clear my throat. “I have to take off anyway. Silas had a bit of a kitchen mishap and needs help.”
“Can he call someone else? You’re sick.”
And this is why I tell my kindergarteners not to lie. I have two lies going, and they’re not playing well in the sandbox together.
“I’ll be fine. He cut his finger and needs stitches.” I can’t take my own advice, choosing to stack up as many lies as possible.
“I’ll go with you then. I can help get him to the hospital.”
“No.” The exclamation comes out more forcefully than I expected. Covey pulls back, a look of shock on his face.
“Text me later to let me know you’re doing, okay?”
“Yeah, sure.”
I make my way out of the house, sharing only the tiniest bit of that story with the rest of them. If they want more details, they can get them from Covey. All I can think of is getting out of there, somewhere I can think straight.Silas better have a lot of that beer, because I’m going to need it.
CHAPTER 26
COVEY
“Okay, we’ve got exactly twenty-three minutes for you to tell me what the fuck is wrong with you today,” Maddox says as he drops onto the floor gracefully, stretching out over his legs. Leo gives him a stern look before taking a seat next to me at the counter.
“And hello to you, too,” I reply. I’m not in the mood for any of this. I want to get on stage so I can pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist for a while.
“Nope, we aren’t doing that. Talk.” Leo swipes the makeup brush in my hand away from me. “I assume this is about Aidan. Did you tell him how you feel?”
“No.” I sigh. “Not really.”
“Words, Covey,” Leo admonishes.
“I went over to his house yesterday, prepared to tell him that I wanted him to be more than my friend. That I wanted us to date. For real.”
“And?” Maddox asks.
“He gave me a whole speech about how happy everyone else is to have me back in Burlington. Everyone except him.”
“Did he say he wasn’t happy to have you back?” Leo asks, giving Maddox a stern look. “You know that floor is filthy, right?”
Maddox doesn’t reply, just sticks his tongue out and goes back to his warm-up.
“No, but it was very clear he didn’t include himself in that grouping.” He even repeated it earlier today, making it clear that he’s separate. And why shouldn’t he be? Our arrangement was for the holidays. Another week and he’s off the hook. No longer obligated to spend any time with me.
“You’re both idiots.”
“And you’re the expert?” I cross my arms and glare at him. Leo gives out shockingly few details about his personal life. If anyone asks him questions, he quickly changes the subject. It’s been clear to me for a long time, but I’m not sure anyone else notices.
“No, Covey. I’m not an expert, but I’m far enough away from this to see the whole picture. You two are so similar. I bet he’s having this same conversation right now.”
“I don’t?—”
“Nope, I’m still talking. You might be different in a lot of ways, but where it counts, you’re the same. You’re both in love and trying your damndest to keep from getting hurt and, in the process, hurting each other.”
“You think he feels the same way?”
