AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fuck. Is she trying to trap me? Does she know something?
How could she? She hasn’t seen me with Skye except that one time after Skye helped put up hay. And no one knows that could have told her.
Keeping my relationship with Skye a secret is going to be a nightmare if I can’t keep my paranoia under control. If it weren’t for Maya and Boone, I wouldn’t bother. But I have no idea how they’re going to react and the last thing I want is for something else to keep us apart now that we finally found our way to each other.
Unfortunately, that means not fighting my mom to go to the girl’s birthday party I’m not supposed to care about. To keep her from becoming suspicious.
I’ll just have to do this and hope Skye will forgive me for being late.
Of course, this could all be handled if I could just send Skye a text but we haven’t exchanged numbers yet. Stupid oversight on my part.
I could text Boone that I’ll be late but that would be weird. Why would he care that I’m going to be late? He probably doesn’t even expect me to show up. Besides, there’s no guarantee the message would get to Skye even if I sent it. So, the only thing sending that message would accomplish is bringing unnecessary attention to the relationship I’d like to keep quiet for now.
“Fine. Where do we start?” I tell Mom, shoving my phone back in my pocket and hoping whatever it is she has planned won’t take all night.
twenty-two
Skye
“It’sgettinglate.Someof us still have to go to school in the morning,” Maya teases bumping my shoulder with hers where she sits beside me on the couch.
Penny, Maya, and I have been half-watching episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and half-playing Monopoly for the last couple of hours.
Ash and Boone took off after they had their fill of cake. Marta went with Pete to meet some of Pete’s friends at The Triple Threat.
And Theron never showed.
Wild Horses couldn’t keep him away but something did. My guess is regret.
The light of day showed him the mistake he made coming to my room last night. I’ll probably never see him again. For real this time.
“We’ll see you at the bonfire on Friday, right?” Maya asks me.
“If not before.”
Maya smiles brightly and hugs me goodbye while wishing me one last happy birthday before she and Penny leave me alone to overthink why Theron broke his promise.
As I head up to bed, I try to convince myself he had a good reason for not showing up. That it had nothing to do with me.
Face washed and teeth brushed, I go to bed wearing nothing but Theron’s hoodie.
It’s stupid. Smelling him on me only makes me miss him more. Wish I’d never started crushing on him. If I’m totally honest with myself, I always knew I’d end up with my heart broken.
My chest shudders with a sob as I turn on my side and stare out the window at the stars. They’re so bright out here. Away from the city lights. It does bring me a small comfort. Something to focus on besides the all too familiar sting of abandonment.
The minutes wear on and the stars go out of focus as my eyelids grow heavy with sleep.
I don’t know how long I was out but the stars are still there when I wake to the words, “I’m sorry, city girl,” being whispered into my hair, Theron’s breath warm on the back of my neck.
His body curves tightly against my back. His arm wraps around my waist.
“Where were you?” I ask him, letting him know I’m awake.
“I was on my way when Boone and Ash came by. It didn’t make any sense to leave them to come here. We went into town. To Boyd’s Bar. Boone had too much to drink. I drove his truck and told him I’d walk home from here but I couldn’t leave without seeing you. I promised. I wanted to be here sooner. My mom—.”
“You’re here now.” I turn in his arms to face him.
“Don’t you want to know?”
