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Peyton
“What the hell was that?”Bryan seethed the second the door clicked shut behind us.
“You can’t tell anyone,” I rushed out, “you have to promise not to—”
“He’s like thirty or something,” Bryan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Are you… together? Is that why you acted weird earlier when I…” Hurt flashed in his eyes and I hated myself.
“I never meant to hurt you.”
He scoffed at that. “But Chase, really? He’s a teacher—”
“He’s not, not really.”
“Like that matters. You’re a senior, Peyton. You’re not even eighteen. What are you thinking?” Desperation coated every word. “What the hell are you—”
“It wasn’t supposed to happen, I swear.” Tears pricked my eyes, my heart crashing wildly in my chest. “But after the accident… we…”
“You let him take advantage of you.”
“What? No. No! It isn’t like that. He gets me. He knows what it’s like. I didn’t ever think he’d feel the same… I swear, I didn’t—”
“Stop, just stop.” Bryan stepped back, putting some distance between us. If anyone wandered into the hall, hopefully they would just think we were having a lovers spat. Because the last thing we needed was an audience for this conversation.
My eyes flicked to the door. Xander hadn’t tried to come back inside, not that I blamed him.
“Don’t tell me you’re actually thinking of going back out there to him?”
“He would never hurt me.”
“Wake up, Peyton, he’s fucking a seventeen-year-old. He’s sick in the—”
The crack of my palm across Bryan’s face filled the hall. He stared at me with disbelief, and I snatched my hand back, hardly able to believe what I’d done. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. But we haven’t… he hasn’t touched me.”
“So, what was that just now because from where I was standing it didn’t look innocent.”
Guilt sat heavy in my chest. “We’ve kissed, nothing more.”
“Shit, Peyton. This is crazy. You have to know that, right? He’s—”
“I care about him, Bryan. I care about him a lot.” I pushed the hair from my face as I stared up at him. My friend. One of the few people that I’d let into my life this year. “I know it’s a mess and I know you don’t understand my reasons, I don’t expect you to. But I’m asking you, as my friend, not to say anything. Please?”
“I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.” Indecision flickered in his eyes.
“I know. But I can’t help how I feel.”
“You swear he hasn’t made you do anything you didn’t want to?”
“Bryan,” I let out a small snort. “You know me. Do you really think I’m the kind of girl who can be persuaded to do anything she didn’t want?”
“Shit, Peyton.” He ran a hand over his jaw. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do here.”
“Be a friend, Bry,” I whispered, stepping closer to him and wrapping my arms around his waist. “That’s all I’ve ever asked.”
“A friend. Right.” Dejection rippled off him, but he didn’t argue with me, pulling me into his chest and holding me tightly.
“I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t the guy you needed me to be.”
