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“Where else would I be?”
I feel his chest deflate in a heavy exhale. “I… It’s nothing. I’m sorry for making you worry.”
“Stop it. It’s not nothing. It’s horrible what they did, and it kills me that I wasn’t there for you.”
“There’s nothing you could have done. It’s my own fault for trusting them. I should have?—”
“No,” I hiss, forcing his gaze to mine. “Don’t you ever apologize for having faith in something and trying to see the good in people. Your beautiful, genuine soul is one of the things I love most about you, and I hate them for stripping that away and using it against you. Their ugliness is on them, not you.”
He lowers his eyes, and his silence sends a shiver down my spine. Something heavy is worming its way through his brain and it scares the crap out of me.
“Hey, what’s going through that head of yours?” I ask, brushing his cheek.
His eyes flicker to me, but there’s no truth in his weak smile.
“Nothing. Just… how did you find me?”
“We looked.”
“You just drove around until you saw some loser at a table?”
“Yes, actually. And you’re not a loser. You’re my boyfriend and the love of my life.”
When his brow furrows in confusion, I know I’m losing this battle.
“Val, please. I know you’re not okay.”
“I’m fine. Thanks for coming for me. You should get back, though.”
His cryptic response does nothing to soothe the ache in my chest. I feel the slight tremble in his body, see the way his jaw clenches like he’s fighting strong emotions. He doesn’t want me to know the truth, but the truth is clawing to come out.
His parents lied to him.
Used him.
Humiliated him.
The very people who were supposed to protect him?—
“They don’t want me.”
I wince and look up to see his gaze fixed on some distant object.
“Sometimes I’m not sure if anyone does. People say they do, but…”
“But what?”
“I’m always a secret.”
His voice is barely audible as he blinks back more tears. “Why does loving me always have to be a secret? Why does it always come with a punishment?”
Oh god.
“Val,” I whisper. “That’s not true…”
My defense dissolves at his sharp look, because… he’s right.
A cold chill moves through me as his words sink in. I don’t want it to be true, but I’ve seen the punishment his sister gets for choosing him, how he downplays relationships to protect others.
