Page 127 of Tell No Lies

I held my breath as they turned to face me. Talia looked between me and Gage then down at our connected hands and nudged Alexis, who did the same.

“Go ahead.” Mckayla was the only one to speak.

“I just wanted to apologize for how I acted this weekend. I know I violated a lot of people’s trust, and Brandon pointed out how selfish I was. You all have been there for me through much of this, and I should have called you guys rather than going out with stupid Tucker.”

They turned and shared a look. After a silent conversation with their eyes, Mckayla faced me. “We accept your apology.”

My heart lifted at those simple words. There was no way I could go through this without their support.

“We’re just so worried about you, and when we heard what happened this weekend from Cassie, not you, it hurt. I thought you knew you could come to us for anything. Calling to ask us to hang out on a Saturday night is hardly annoying us.” She raised a brow and stared me down.

Apparently, she knew me enough to know that was exactly why I hadn’t called them over the weekend.

“I know. I just felt like I was relying on you guys too much. I wanted to prove I could be on my own. Obviously, I failed.”

Talia stood and pushed Gage away before hugging me.

Alexis followed and started a group hug, which Mckayla joined.

Talia pulled my hair and grinned. “Yes, you did, but we still love you. From now on, don’t fight it. You know you love us too.”

A smile crept on my lips until I caught Mike glaring at me from a few tables away. He would be harder to win over. Just as I was gathering the courage to go over to talk to him, the bell rang. Mckayla looped her arm through mine and pulled me away. I looked back and saw Mike shake his head before turning away. Gage was smirking and gave a short nod when we locked eyes.

One thing I couldn’t handle was my friends being mad at me. My mother and Neil had usually had something to be disappointed about, so I was used to their icy attitudes, but I’d reached my limit with Brandon and Mike. I needed to fix this.

My knee bounced as I waited for roll to be taken in Yearbook so I could make a run for it.

Apparently, Mckayla noticed my nervous habit and gave me a questioning look.

“I need to get out of here and find Mike.” I stared down Mrs. Gonzalez, willing her to wrap things up.

Mckayla leaned toward me and whispered, “We’ll say we need to interview him and get a pass to get him out of class. No problem. You just need to chill out.”

Just as I was getting ready to burst, Mrs. Gonzalez sat down and refocused her attention on a book.

I bolted up and grabbed a camera as Mckayla took one of the student passes to get Mike out. She led the way through the science hall to Mr. Steen’s room and stopped a few feet away.

“Let me ask for him. I don’t know if he’ll want to come out if he sees you. Sorry.”

It hurt, but I knew she was probably right. Mike could be stubborn.

Knocking once, she stuck her head in and gave a charming smile. “Excuse me, Mr. Steen, but I need Mike Thomas for a few minutes for a yearbook interview. Would you mind?” Her voice was sugary sweet, the same one she used with the front office staff. I tried not to laugh so Mike wouldn’t know I was with her.

He came strutting out of the classroom and smiled at Mckayla. “Thanks for that. Class was ridiculously boring. What do you need?”

She bit her lip and pointed at me. Mike turned around, and instantly his beaming smile disappeared. Before he could leave, I stepped forward and reached for him. He pulled back and crossed his arms. I was so used to his megawatt smile that seeing him angry scared me a little. He was known as a beast on the field, but until now, I’d never seen that side of him.

I met his gaze and crossed my arms over my stomach, suddenly insecure. “I know you’re mad at me, and after everything you told me this morning, you have every reason to be. I don’t deserve any favors from you, but would you go for a walk with me? Please?”

Behind him, Mckayla looked hopeful and gave me a quick nod. I looked back at him and waited. Finally, he turned and started walking out of the hall. That was the best response I was going to get, so I grabbed the pass from Mckayla and followed him out. He remained silent when I caught up to him.

“I’m so sorry, Mike. Everything you said earlier was true. You’ve been an amazing friend to me since I got here. You’ve been so supportive, and I’ve done nothing to deserve you.”

I wanted to continue, but when he made eye contact, I stopped in my tracks.

“You still don’t get it. I can’t be your friend anymore.”

I froze at his words. The crack he’d put in my heart this morning was spreading, threatening to break me in half. “Mike …”