Page 165 of Tell No Lies

“It’s always blinding in the moment. I know he’s hurting too, Aubrey. I think you two can fix things.”

“I hope so.”

Talia reached over and grabbed my hand. “He was your friend first. You just need to remind him of that.”

I nodded and caught Mckayla watching me. “What?”

“If you’re not secretly getting with Gage, then why weren’t you that into Mike?”

Alexis laughed first. “She doesn’t have to be in love with someone all of the time.”

“No, you’re right, but she is.” Her gaze was becoming increasingly unsettling.

“What are you talking about? She doesn’t like Gage or Mike like that.” Alexis wasn’t catching on like Mckayla apparently had.

“Nope, but she does love someone. Don’t you?” She was staring directly into my soul.

I barely breathed out my response. “Yes.”

There was a collective gasp, and a chorus of “Who?” broke out.

There was no chance I would be able to explain myself until they calmed down. Patiently, I waited until they were quiet and focusing on me. “Carter.”

Twenty-Four

I was hopeful that the girls would understand when I told them, but I was completely shocked by their responses.

Mckayla’s eyes never left mine. “I knew it. This whole time, it’s been him, hasn’t it?”

I broke her gaze and looked around at Talia and Alexis for help, but they were both frozen in place with their mouths wide open.

“Yeah, I think it has.”

There were a few moments of silence before the screaming broke out. Mckayla jumped on me first, followed by the other two.

“I knew it!”

“He’s so hot!” Alexis screamed.

“Didn’t I call it months ago?” Talia shoved Mckayla.

Their comments were coming at me faster than I could respond, not that I would have known what to say. I had been expecting them to be mad, say it wasn’t okay, even demand I give up and go back to Mike … really, anything but what was happening.

“Guys! Get off me, then let’s talk!”

It was a mess of giggling for minutes until they calmed down enough to act like normal humans. Once we were all sitting down, Mckayla looked around as if asking permission to go first. “Does he know?”

“Carter?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, Carter. Does he know how you feel?”

“No. Well, kind of. He told me I needed to focus on enjoying high school and my friends, and that we can’t be together.”

That earned me another thirty seconds of screaming and questions. I sat back, waiting for them to calm down.

“You guys have talked about it?” Alexis looked like she was two seconds away from exploding.

“Yeah, the feelings were pretty mutual, but I don’t know anymore. I mean, why would he want to be with his best friend’s little sister? He was probably just being nice instead of telling me I was insane for liking him.”