Page 71 of Coastal Runaway

“How long?” He seethed.

She didn’t answer him.

“How fucking long, Keegan?” He was dangerously calm, but I could tell by his rapid breaths that he was seconds from exploding.

“This time… a few months…” She trailed off.

He glanced at me over her shoulder, “this time?”

We both nodded.

“I can't believe this.” He was raising his voice now, “what? Have you guys just been fucking behind my back for years?”

“No!” She cried, “we hooked up once in high school. That’s it.”

Onlookers stared as they passed in the lobby but all I cared about were the two people in front of me.

“Oh, okay,” he shouted, “and stupid Nolan wasn’t allowed to know about the secret affair that his two best friends were having behind his back!”

“Don’t yell at her,” I snapped and touched Keegan’s shoulder, but she immediately shrugged me off. I took a step back to give her space, and noticed their argument was starting to draw a bigger crowd.

“Stay out of this,” he looked at me with so much anger that I barely even recognized him, “when did you hook up in high school?” His attention was back on Keegan.

She hesitated and then in the quietest whisper said, “the night of the graduation party.”

Nolan’s mouth dropped open as he came to the realization, like the last puzzle piece snapping into place. He looked me in the eyes and said, “she’s the girl you pined after for years? The one who got away? The one who left that morning?”

I nodded.

“And the girl you’ve been sneaking into your room all semester?”

I nodded, again.

He scoffed at Keegan, “I always knew you had a little crush on Luke but I never thought you would go fuck my best friend right under my nose.” Then he paused in thought, “the night of the graduation party… the night before you left? You put a crack into this family, into my life, because you had sex with a boy?” He looked dumbfounded, “I knew you were selfish Keegan, I knew you only cared about protecting yourself, but I didn’t know you were such a slut that you would risk my closest friendship for some dick.”

“That’s enough,” Mr. Kelly snapped, suddenly emerging from behind me, “I suggest you walk it off Nolan.”

Nolan shook his head, turned, and stormed through the hotel doors. I expected Keegan to break into a sprint and chase him but she didn't. She stayed completely still.

I walked up behind her and whispered, “it’s going to be okay.”

She turned to face me. Her makeup was running down her face and her eyes were red, when she said, completely devoid of emotion, “nothing about this is okay, Luke. He’s right, I’ve been selfish.”

“You’re not selfish, baby. We made a mistake⁠—”

“Yeah, this was all a mistake.” She looked me in the eyes defiantly.

“What?” My voice horse.

“What did we think this was? This was not something that was meant to last. What? We were going to fuck until graduation and then you would leave for Columbia? I would follow you? Give up my dreams for yours?”

Her words were like a stab wound to my heart.

“What? No. We would figure it out. I can stay on the West Coast and we can go wherever you want. Me and you. It was always supposed to be me and you.”

“We both know that’s not the deal, Luke. It’s best if we just end it now. I’m just a measly Kelly after all, right?” She looked over my shoulder.

I turned around to see my stoic looking father standing next to Mr. Kelly.