Page 106 of Run to Me

“Months?”

He sighs. “There’s something about her. I can’t explain it.”

“You always did have a soft spot for the loners like me.”

The corner of his mouth lifts. “Yeah, well, don’t tell anyone.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve kept your secrets.” I say this jokingly, but Brody’s secrets are no laughing matter. And he has quite a few.

“I know you have, and I appreciate it.”

He taps a finger on his thigh, and I feign interest in the cabinet handles, neither of us knowing what to say as an awkward silence settles between us.

“I’ll go outside first,” he says.

He must not want to be seen with me, hence the covert operation to corner me for a chat. It’s like being in school all over again. After I discovered one of his secrets by accident, he began confiding in me and seeking me out for advice. But he never acknowledged our fringe friendship in public.

Shrugging a shoulder to hide the twinge of hurt, I say, “Yeah, sure.”

Brody ducks his head to meet my gaze, sensing where my mind drifted. “Hey. I was never ashamed of you. People would’ve got the wrong idea because of my reputation, and I respected you too much to let them start rumors. Also, I didn’t want Jensen to kick my ass.”

Surprised by both of his reasons for hiding our acquaintance, I focus on the latter. “You knew we were friends?”

His quiet laughter sounds like puffs of air. “Friends don’t threaten every guy in your class for daring to upset you.” He yanks on one of my curls, a throwback to preschool that makes me want to smack him, and says, “See you outside.”

He runs ahead of me and leaps into the pool, landing with a cannonball splash. Jensen wades through the shallow end, smiling as he jokes with Rock and Jake. After a minute of observing them from inside the house, I slip through the patio door.

Javi and Clementine live in one of the nicest houses in town, and their beach-entry pool comes with a grotto, a slide, and a diving board. The women lounge on a raised level of the pool deck, suntanning while keeping out of the splash zone.

Trevor appears to be napping in a lounger on the covered porch, obviously averse to the sun with his straw hat and thick layer of sunblock on his cheeks and nose. When Javi drops into the chair next to his, I take advantage of the opportunity and join them while Jensen’s distracted by the other guys.

I tighten the knot on the skirt covering my bikini bottoms as I make my way over, then sit at the foot of Trevor’s lounge chair, facing Javi. Not one for small talk, I get straight to the point and ask him about Jensen.

“How long has he been like this?”

“Like what?” Javi asks, looking straight ahead at the pool. With our dark sunglasses, it’s impossible to decipher where our eyes are aimed.

“Falling apart.”

Trevor shifts slightly, and I hope I haven’t woken him despite speaking in a quiet voice.

“Since December,” Javi says.

The implication in his response isn’t lost on me. Jensen’s been struggling since I approached him at Bruno’s, our first encounter in years. If he so badly wants to be with me, and I’m here, why is he declining?

“I’m worried about him,” I admit.

Trevor speaks up, evidently not asleep after all. “We all are.”

My stomach dips from the thought of saying the next words aloud. Not because they’re out of line, but because I can’t stand the idea of betraying Jensen’s trust. It feels wrong, like I’m sneaking behind his back. I’m at a loss, but find some comfort in knowing I’m not the only one concerned for his mental health.

I lean back on my hands, portraying a relaxed posture I’m nowhere close to feeling on the inside. “I think he needs professional help.”

A quick side-glance at Jensen, and my heart pounds faster. He’s staring at me with concern crinkling his brow, as if he can somehow sense the guilt and distress thrashing inside my rib cage.

Javi tucks his hands behind his head and crosses his ankles. If he’s faking the lazy vibes, he’s a phenomenal actor. “He does need help, but he won’t accept it. I’ve made the suggestion many times over the years, and he gets defensive—angry, even—which isn’t like him.”

“You give people advice for a living. What should I do?”