She walks toward me. “Cut the crap, Beau. I know you’re in love with her.”
“I’m not—“
“Save it.” She smiles. “I know you’ve been in love with her for years. I think everyone knows it. If they didn’t before, I’m sure they do now that she’s back.”
I’m about to argue about the fact that I am not in love with her, but she continues.
“Look, you can lie to me, and to Jo, and to everyone else in this town, but maybe don’t lie to yourself.”
She walks back inside, and I’m left out alone in the cold.
I consider going home, but I know once I get there, my mind will just run wild.
I need something else to keep my mind occupied for a while.
Chapter twenty-seven
I Can't be Your Friend
Jo
What the hell is wrong with Beau?
That’s the question that keeps running through my mind as I walk through the streets of Lilly Leaf Falls. I didn’t stay much longer at the dance. As charming as Jamie was, my heart just wasn’t in it.
And to be honest, if he put his hands on me one more time, I was going to break his fingers.
So, I ran back to Dylan’s to change clothes and decided to take a walk. I didn’t want to get stuck talking about my feelings with my brother.
I’m not sure how the interaction between Beau and myself got so heated. Okay, I do know. How could he be fucking Christie? She was an absolute nightmare in high school.
I just don’t get it. He and I were doing so much better, and then, suddenly, he’s back to being a jerk. And I didn’t even do anything this time!
The longer I walk, the angrier I get. And it’s not just anger but pure confusion. I understand that I hurt Beau. I get it. What I did to him was awful, but that doesn’t explain his back and forth behavior. Either hate me or don’t, damn!
As I’m walking past the auto shop, I see a light on in the bay. Who the fuck would be there at this time of night?
Standing on my very tiptoes, I look through the window and see Beau. He’s looking under the hood of an old Thunderbird.
I’m about to get some answers.
I walk over to the keypad and enter the code to get into the building. Once inside, I make my way to the bay.
The moment Beau sees me, he slams the hood shut and says, “I was just leaving.”
“Hold it right there, Stephenson! You’re not going anywhere. We are going to talk.”
He sighs. “Jo, there is nothing to talk about.”
“Bullshit! You’re going to give me some answers.”
I walk over to where he’s standing, but he doesn’t stay there for long. He walks away to go wash his hands in the small sink in the corner.
“I just don’t have it in me tonight, Jo. Go hang out with Jamie. We can do this later.”
“No, we are going to do this now. I don’t care if I have to follow you all over town. You know I will, and you know just how annoying I can be.”
After drying his hands on a clean towel, he says, “What do you want? What is so important that we have to do this right now?”
