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I decide to push a little bit. "I’m almost eighteen. Den will be there, and so will Charlie. Please?" With that, I shove some of the papery salmon in my mouth to stop myself from revealing anything that could mess it up.
I finish two more bites before one of them speaks up. They keep silently communicating with each other. Eventually, Tristen clears his throat and declares, "I’ll talk to Rhys."
What? That’s it? What does that mean?
"Um, okay."
I leave dinner somewhat defeated. My trip to California—to my past—relies on them letting me go.
Lilly is talkingto Denielle this morning, so I tell Wes to meet me at the gym after my session with Spence—to get it over with. He is confused that I asked him to come today, but he agrees.
When I finish with Spence,Wes is already on the treadmill a good two miles into his usual five-mile run. I walk up and lean against the equipment next to his, waiting for him to slow down.
When he’s at a brisk walk, I rip off the Band-Aid. "Hey, man, I need you to do me a favor."
No reason to drag this out and make it more painful.
"Sure, what do you need?" He takes a big gulp from his water bottle.
"I’m not going to make it on the ski trip, but if anyone asks, I’m going. Especially my parents."
Wes wiggles his eyebrows. "You and Kat taking some alone time?"
"No, Lilly and I are."
He hits the emergency stop button and turns to me. "Your sister Lilly?OurLilly?" He gestures back and forth between us.
I stare back at him.MyLilly, a growl reverberates in my head. I compose myself before answering. After all, that was what got me into this mess in the first place—my jealousy toward Wes. "Yes, I can’t tell you more right now. I need you to trust me."
His face turns from surprise to annoyance. "That seems to have become a pattern between us."
I can’t fault him. This is the second time in two days. But then he switches to concern. "Are you guys okay? What’s going on?"
"Lilly needs my help, but until we’re back, it’s better for you not to know. Plus, it’s not my place to tell. It’s Lilly’s decision. She’ll fill you in when she’s ready. But she needs more time."
Cryptic much?
When Wes hesitates, I ask him flat out, "Can I count on you?"
I’m holding my hand out toward him. I am forcing my luck.
He deliberates for another moment. "Yeah, of course." He slaps his palm in mine. "I’m just...curious. And worried. I mean, Lilly? You haven’t spoken ten words to her in years."
I sigh. "You’ll understand soon enough."
He cocks his head to the side. "What about Kat?"
I shrug. "What about her?"
"Uh...won’t she want to know about this?"
Wes is as oblivious as everyone else about how it is between Kat and me. I’ve never felt the need to elaborate.
"Nah, she’s fine. She’s gone with her family."
Wes nods and starts running again. "Come on, you’re two miles behind me."
Moving on.
