Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“I’ve been a bitch to you,” she says with a shaky breath. “And you still tried to be nice to me.”
I already told her I’m a nice person, so I don’t repeat myself. I remain silent.
“I’m sorry,” she continues, her voice cracking. “I’m just really screwed up right now.”
Stating the obvious, but I keep that to myself as well.
“Can you get me out of here without June and Heather seeing us?”
“Trust me. June and Heather won’t pay you any mind.” I take Misty’s arm and lead her out of the changing area, past the spectacle of Heather sitting on the edge of the hot tub with June’s tongue between her legs, and out of the pool house.
“Now, about that drink…” I say.
Misty shakes her head. “I don’t want a drink, Emily. I just want to talk. I need to talk.”
“All right. You want to go to the deck? Take a walk on the beach?”
“The beach sounds good.”
“Great. I’ll grab a couple bottles of water from the bar outside the pool house. Give me a minute, okay?”
Misty nods. She’s no longer crying, but she desperately needs a tissue. I walk back into the pool area, purposefully looking away from June and Heather, and I grab two bottles of water and a box of tissues from the bar. Then I rejoin Misty and hand her the tissues and a bottle of water.
“Thanks,” she says.
“Don’t mention it.” I unscrew the cap off my bottle and take a long drink. Then I turn to Misty. “Let’s go.”
She nods and follows as we walk out of the yard and onto the concrete path leading to the beach. In the distance, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore is soothing.
Well, as soothing as anything can be when I’m dealing with Misty.
Once our toes hit the sand, she finally turns to me. “Emily, can you keep a secret?”
EPISODE 127
SECRET LOVE TWO
Brett
Twenty Years Earlier…
No one knows the real me.
Not even River, and he’s my closest friend.
To the outside world, I’m the computer nerd who’s not a nerd. I’m as big and strong and good-looking as River is. He and the football coach have been after me since freshman year to join the team, but that’s not my thing.
I can be a team player when I need to be—and I’d do anything for my friends—but when push comes to shove, I’m a lone wolf.
Always have been, and always will be.
I’ve also been horny as hell for girls since I hit puberty…which is why these intense feelings I’ve developed for Jake confuse the hell out of me.
I suppose it started as wanting to protect him. The dude hasn’t had an easy life. No father, and a mom who works three jobs to keep them clothed and fed. He’s blonder than I am, and he never wears a hat because he thinks his thick hair is his best feature.
He’s wrong, though. His best feature is his blue eyes. They’re what drew me in. They seem to mirror my isolation, my own feelings of misplaced belonging that I’ve managed to mask so well.
My feelings have grown beyond wanting to protect him now. I find myself drawn to his resilience, his stubborn determination, and the quiet strength he carries within him. To the world, Jake is just another kid struggling to make ends meet, but for me, he’s become something far more.
He has become a part of me—a piece of me I didn’t realize was missing until he filled that void.
It’s not just about lust or desire—although those feelings are there, flaring up in moments when our gazes meet and linger a second too long or when our bodies accidentally brush against each other while we’re working on some project or other. It’s about feeling complete. Feeling like everything makes sense when Jake is around.
The worst part is that I can’t even confess these feelings to River, the one person in the world who knows me best. To say it out loud would make it real. It would be like stripping myself bare for everyone to see, exposing the most vulnerable part of myself.
I often catch myself observing Jake, my mind painting scenarios of a world where we could be something more than friends. In these dreams, we’re not hiding or scared—we’re just two people who love each other. But then reality hits and I realize it’s just that—a dream.
He’s given me no indication that he might return my feelings. Instead, he views me as his friend—the guy who helps him with calculus problems and fixes his computer when it crashes. He’s got a girlfriend now, Marnie. She’s sweet and pretty, and we all like her.
But she’s not me, and I find myself constantly wondering if Jake and I would have a chance if things were different. If we were different.
Then again, maybe it’s better this way. He has Marnie by his side, someone who evidently makes him happy. The last thing I want is for Jake to lose that happiness because of my confused feelings.