"No, thank goodness. We got away easily, except for hitting my head, but that was our fault. I heard from my friend today saying that the other girl is doing well. She sent me a text, apologizing. She's been through rejection lately, and she told me that her judgment was off because of it. I honestly feel like she'll be more careful. I don't think it'll happen again. Like I said, I'm proud of her for calling me."
"Well, just be careful."
I smiled and leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek when he said that. I loved that he was protective of me. I didn't know how much more to tell him. I didn't want to lie to him, but I also knewthat Bailey would get in trouble and be hurt if I told everyone what happened.
I tried to keep quiet. I tried to stop there and not say any more. But I wanted to tell him the whole truth so badly that it felt like there was a suction cup stuck to the front of my body—to my throat. Like the words just had to come out, whether I wanted them to or not.
"Henry? Can I ask you a big, huge favor?"
My voice was vulnerable, and he leaned in, looking at me.
"Of course. Of course, you can. Anything. What is it?"
"Can I share something with you and have you not tell anyone at all?"
"Yes, Amelia, you're scaring me. What is it?"
"Bailey. Your sister. That was her."
"Yes, what about her?"
There was a span of silence, and I made a face that caused him to put the pieces together.
"Noo," he said in a strained, disbelieving tone. "Bailey was the one in trouble last night?"
I nodded, but I put my finger over my mouth, urging him to be quiet. "She did the right thing by calling me," I whispered. "She doesn't want you guys to find out anything. She's humiliated enough. That ex-boyfriend of hers ended up dating her old best friend, and it was a hard end of the school year for her."
He squinted at me. "My sister? Bailey Sutter? Is that who you're talking about?"
I nodded.
"She's the one who called you in the middle of the night with drugs involved and everything?"
"She's getting older," I said, knowing he was thinking of her as a child. "And she didn't take drugs. I'm not trying to make anexcuse for her, but she, s-she was really sorry. She wasn't happy about calling me. It was a bad situation."
I touched his cheek, looking at him and hoping he would soften.
"Can you please just not tell Bailey or your parents or anything?" I said, staring straight at him with my biggest puppy dog eyes. "Please just take it into your heart and think about it. I'm sorry to ask that of you, but she trusts me, and she doesn't want to get in trouble. I really do think it was a one-time incident, or I would say you should intervene. Can we just keep an eye on her and not say anything for now? Please? I want her to like me and trust me."
His face was serious, but it softened and he had a slight smile when I said that. "You're so sweet."
"I do want her to," I said. "She would be hurt and upset with me if you guys came down on her. And she has been through a lot. She's a good girl. I could see some of Ty in her. I think she still needs the benefit of the doubt this time. Can I please just keep you posted without you going to her? She doesn't even know we're talking, you and I. She wants me to just avoid you."
"She told you that?" he said, almost sounding hurt.
I smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "I mean, about the black eye… she thinks it's possible for me to just avoid you. I didn't tell her that we had been talking every day, and…" I trailed off because I didn't know what to say, that he was special to me… that I loved him… that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.
"You didn't tell her that we're together?"
"No," I said, shaking my head. "I didn't tell her that. She thinks I'm just another girl on the movie set."
"But you're not," he said, his hand on my back as he pulled me closer.
"I am to her," I said. "She doesn't know we're close, so she'll feel betrayed if I tell you. I just had to tell you the truth. I was standing here looking at you, and I found that I couldn't hold it."
"I'm glad you told me."
"Please don't say anything to her," I said. "Just be sensitive."
