Page 49 of Five

There he is. Walking up to the front door of Shrike Bikes. It’s closed, so I’m not sure what he thinks he’s gonna do… but I peel into the parking lot, squealing my tires, and slam on the brakes.

“Hey!” I say, yelling as the window slides down. “Cliff!”

“Rory?” he says, squinting his eyes and covering them with a hand as he tries to see past my blaring headlights.

I switch the lights off and get out. “I saw you,” I say. “Leaving the farm. You…” I look down at his hand. “You took my phone.”

He looks at it. Dumbly. Like he’s never seen it before and has no idea how it got there. Then he looks at me and offers it back. “Sorry,” he says. “I found it out by the pool and the place was dark. I didn’t think you were there.”

“I was sleeping. I just caught sight of you as you were leaving in your car. I’m so sorry. I got caught up in…” Well, what to say about what I was caught up in? Five Aston’s arms? No. I haven’t broken up with Cliff yet. He still thinks I’m his girlfriend.

“I was gonna drop it through the mail slot. This is your dad’s shop, right?” He smiles. It’s a nice smile too. Cliff is as handsome as any guy I’ve met. Except Five, of course. “I recognized the logo. All those t-shirts you wear.”

Right. “Well, that was sweet of you.” I take the phone from him and tab it awake. The Love Notes app is open with a new message from Five. My heart does a wild staccato thumping inside my chest as I wonder…

“I didn’t spy on you, Rory. If that’s what you’re checking for.”

“No,” I say, realizing that the message hasn’t been read yet. Realizing that’s not really something Cliff would do. “I never thought that, Cliff.”

“But…” He swallows hard. Like he has to say something and needs to build up his nerve. “Your phone buzzed while I was holding it. It was… a mistake. I’m sorry. I’m really fucking sorry. I didn’t mean to see that message, I swear. And now I just want to get the hell out of town.”

“What?” I’m squinting my eyes in confusion.

“I mean, I had no idea, Rory. If I had known—”

“Known what?”

Now it’s his turn to squint his eyes. And then he looks around. Like he’s checking to make sure no one is listening. “Five.”

“You know him,” I say. It’s not a question.

Cliff sighs out a long breath. “I didn’t realize. I’m sorry. I would’ve never have asked you out. I would’ve never have kissed you. I—”

“What are you taking about? You don’t think I’ve been dating Five all this time, do you? While I was dating you? Cliff, I’m not that kind of girl.”

Cliff simply shrugs. “It’s none of my business. I’m just gonna go now.”

“Hold on,” I say, grabbing hold of his arm before he can scoot past me and get in his car. “Just wait a minute. Why are you acting weird all of a sudden? We’ve been friends for years, Cliff. Talk to me.”

“About what?” he says. And now there’s a little bit of annoyance in his words. “There’s nothing to talk about, Rory. I admit, I must be pretty fucking stupid not to have put two and two together before now. I knew you were from Fort Collins. And of course, everyone knows Five is from here too—”

“Wait,” I say, putting up a hand to stop his words. “What the fuck are you talking about? Everyone? Who?”

Cliff furrows his brows at me, the glow from the streetlights casting a sad shadow across his face. Or maybe not. Maybe he is actually sad. “How well do you know Five Aston?”

“Pfftt.” That is the most ridiculous question ever. “Like… better than anyone, Cliff. We’ve been best friends for as long as I can remember. We grew up together. Since we were babies. He’s been by my side through everything.”

But it’s a lie, isn’t it? He left me six years ago and I have almost no idea what he’s been doing since then.

“Then why are you so surprised that your best friend scares the shit out of me? And all I really want right now is to get the fuck out of this town as fast as I can?”

My mouth drops open in surprise. Just hangs there like that for a few seconds. Then I swallow hard and say, “Pardon me?”

“You don’t know, do you?” And that expression—that one he’s wearing right now—is more than sadness. It’s pity.

“Know what?” I say it too loud. But I’m frustrated. “What the hell is going on?”

“I gotta go,” he says, pushing past me. Not even trying to be gentle about it.