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“I don’t know how he found out about the dyslexia, but it wasn’t from me.” My hand settles on my chest. “I would never do something like that.”
Barely am I aware of passing through the iron gates and onto the carefully manicured property. Trees dot the landscape along with rolling hills, but none of it registers. My gaze stays pinned to Austin’s profile as the winding road opens up to the parking lot. He pulls into a space near the back.
It’s only when he shifts the SUV into park that he swivels, giving me his full attention. The anger simmering in his expression leaves me wincing as my spine presses into the door handle.
“How the hell would I know what you’d do?”
Air leaks painfully from my lungs. “I’m not like these people.” I gulp. “You have to realize that.”
With a cock of his head, he continues to stare. There’s not an ounce of softness to be found. “That’s funny, because I reallydidn’t think so either.” He reaches out, stroking a finger along the curve of my jaw. His voice becomes as wintry as his eyes. “Turns out I was wrong.”
I jerk away from his touch as if scalded before wrapping my shaking fingers around the door handle and yanking it open. Autumn air wafts over my cheeks, but it does nothing to cool them. With my backpack clutched at my chest, I stalk through the parking lot. It only takes Austin a handful of steps to reach my side. He plucks the bag from my hands before slinging one brawny arm around my shoulders and hauling me close.
His warm breath drifts over the outer shell of my ear. “Don’t be angry. You can’t blame me for not trusting you. For all I know, you’re still involved with him and this is all a game to humiliate me.”
When I stutter to a halt, he does the same.
“I’m not with Jasper,” I whisper. “I don’t want anything to do with him.”
For a long, painful heartbeat, he studies me as if he’s able to discern the truth for himself.
“Only time will tell, won’t it?”
Tears prick the backs of my eyes. I’ve never felt more helpless. “I suppose so.”
It’s only seven thirty in the morning and I’m already exhausted. What I should have realized sooner is that Austin will never believe me. Or fully trust me. Doubts will always linger in the back of his mind.
If he insists on moving forward with this charade, I need to protect myself against him, because even now, I can feel myself falling.
As these thoughts circle viciously through my head, movement from the corner of my eye catches my attention and I turn to see Summer and Kingsley exiting his Mustang.
The moment her gaze lands on me, her brows snap together. The lighthearted smile dancing around her lips dissolves, only to be replaced with a scowl.
“Austin!”
I wince as her snapped-out voice travels across the parking lot and people turn to stare.
He glances in her direction before lifting a hand in acknowledgment.
“Does your sister know what you’re up to?”
From her surprised reaction, my guess is that she doesn’t.
“Nope. And I’d like to keep it that way. Summer’s been through enough already. She doesn’t need to spend any more time worrying about me.”
I nibble at my lower lip as my belly twists into a painful knot.
Great.
More lies and deception.
How has this become my life?
“Wait up!” she calls out again, voice growing closer.
Even though we stop near the sidewalk, I can tell by the way Austin’s muscles have tightened that he’s reluctant to engage in conversation. It doesn’t take Summer long to catch up. Kingsley isn’t far behind. What I’ve noticed is that he’s never far from her. Almost as if he can’t bear the thought of her out of his sight for long.
It’s a far cry from how their relationship started out the first day of school. And that’s with his fingers wrapped around her neck as he shoved her against the lockers in the hallway.
