I decided not to beat around the bush anymore.
“It’s a kind of bet, isn’t it? Between you and James.”
William turned his head to me, astounded by the fact that I’d figured it out.
“More or less.”
His confession prevented me from swallowing.
“Sorry,” he added next, confirming my worst fears. I knew it. I knew I couldn’t trust James.
“But there’s one thing I never lied about, June.”
He put the vape pen away and then turned around to look at me.
“What did you not lie about, Will? About the fact that you liked me but that I’m playing second fiddle because I’m not Ari?”
My bluntness fully hit him, but his sad expression didn’t seem to change. His reactions didn’t seem to depend on where our conversation was going or what was going on around him. It was like a comforting word or a negative comment couldn’t change his mood. It was like nothing outside of him could change his mind, maybe because of the illness he hid inside of him.
“You don’t have to apologize anymore, Will. It’s okay this way. It seems like we’re better off friends, but if you have to bring me into your little games, I can’t do that. I won’t put up with it.”
“Nobody would’ve forced you to do anything.”
I stayed quiet. Meanwhile William smirked at me.
“Besides, you kissed me back,” he remarked, reminding me of that unforgivable mistake. I felt a familiar tingling in my inner thigh.
“Yeah, and I was wrong,” I admitted without batting an eye. “But now it doesn’t make sense to have second thoughts. Just quit drinking,” I implored him.
I held out my hand waiting for him to give me the bottle, but he didn’t. His pearl-like eyes made me inexplicably upset. I didn’t want Will to not be okay. And no matter how much he insisted on saying everything was fine, I saw that something wasn’t right.
“Will, I’m here,” I hinted faintly.
He seemed to be focused on some undetermined thing in front of him, because he kept staring at it. And instead of answering me, he let out a huff.
“I saw the teddy bear, the one James won at the amusement park, on your bed.”
And right as I was focused on racking my brains for a valid reason for what James had done for me, I heard footsteps draw nearer in the dark. It was Tiffany.
“Hey.”
I saw her say hi to Will, with her hands hidden in her leather jacket.
“Hey, Tiff.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m talking, and June’s feigning interest.”
William’s answer pierced my heart. I stood up and looked apprehensively at the bottle that he kept drinking from. I didn’t know what kind of liquor it was, but Will seemed trashed enough.
“How are you?” asked Tiffany.
“Good.”
In the dark, I trembled at hearing the unnerving tone that William had answered that question with. There was nothing good about thatgood.
Tiffany took my hand and put it in her jacket pocket, squeezing it. I couldn’t help but notice a bit of possessiveness in that gesture.
