James wasn’t happy to relive what had happened, and I felt bad for making him tell me, especially because he didn’t deserve Amelia lying about that.
“Amelia felt betrayed.” He justified her actions as he continued to blow clouds of smoke into the morning air.
“Violence is never the solution,” I said, digging my heels in. “So you lied to Brian to protect Ari?”
“I think so.”
Or was Amelia so angry and disappointed because she was in love with you?But it didn’t seem necessary to ask him.
“And I got between them.”
“Well, you knew they were together. You could’ve avoided it, James.” I grabbed the hem of my uniform skirt between my fingers and fiddled with it.
“Don’t you think it takes two people to do something?” He glared at me.
“So does Amelia know about you two?”
“No. Ari ended it with me. At least she tried to.”
“But she couldn’t, could she?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“Ari told her it happened just once, and Amelia believed her. Then she stopped talking to me.”
So Amelia stopped being friends with James after that night? Something wasn’t adding up.
“Weren’t you and Brian friends?”
“Years ago. When we were kids.”
I thought about the photo Jasper had shown me with both of their families together.
“Then what happened?”
“So many things. Too many.”
“You’re not telling me everything, James.”
“And how do you know that?”
“You sent Brian to the hospital the next day. Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Something happened that night, otherwise it doesn’t explain it.”
“June? Is that you?”
James stood up when he heard William’s voice.
I turned around to meet his gloomy eyes, scrutinizing me.
“Are you smoking?” He looked disgusted.
“No, I was . . . we were talking.” James didn’t say anything, and Will lowered his gaze.
“Okay, I’m going back inside.”
“Will, wait for me.” I tried to get up with every intention of following him, but James stopped me. I felt the skin on my wrist burn and my head spin.
