“I resent that. But okay, yes …” I glance around to make sure no one is listening to us and briefly explain what happened atCoast Life. “… and that’s when I saw you.”
“Nowthat, I believe.”
“It’s the truth.”
“You never used to lie to me, you know.”
I nod, a little heat creeping up my chest, both embarrassed and pleased. “I remember.”
“I like it when you are teeth-gratingly honest. That’s part of your charm. When you’re honest, thenIcan be honest, and it feels like … I don’t know. It feels like there’s this invisible wall that comes down between us? The wall is kind of electric, or lasers, or something—”
“An electric, invisible wall.”
“And you’re the only one with the key to switch it off. When you’re honest, whoosh! It comes down, and we both can cross over freely and talk.” He squints, smiling with his eyes. “Does that make any sense?”
I’m not sure how to respond to this divulgement. It feels like tasting a wedge of lemon on a dare: unexpectedly bracing, too much all at once. But … I quickly get accustomed to the foreignness of it and am surprised to find myself craving more.
“I think so,” I finally admit, still a little uncomfortable but fighting it. “In a weird way?”
“Just don’t hold back with me, okay? Otherwise, we’ve got this wall between us and it’s hard to communicate.” He gestures toward my photography case. “Can I?”
“My portfolio?”
“Yeah. Unless it’s private or something.”
Something inside me shrivels up, and all the good will we’ve been kindling nearly dies.
“A joke,” he amends. “I wasn’t—”
“Oh, sure. It’s been all of a week since I’ve heard that one,” I say. “How does it go again? The one about me selling nudes online because my mother modeled in college, so I’m easy prey?”
“Whoa,” he says, brow lowering. “Hold on a minute—”
“If you think just because I told you personal stuff about me in a moment of weakness at the police station, you can just fly into my life like some kind of superhero and rescue me, and I’ll be so grateful that I’ll doanythingto thank you, well—you can think again, buddy.”
He holds up both hands. “Hey, I made a dumb joke. I wasn’t thinking about what Adrian said that night at the party. My bad. But thanks for assuming I’m a dirtbag who ‘rescued’ you just for a chance to get in your pants.” His shoulders are rigid, eyes tight with insult. “I know you’ve been going through a tough time, but maybe have a little faith in me?”
“W-well,” I stammer, caught off guard and scrambling for a defense. “Ihaveheard stuff about you.”
He snorts. “I’ll bet you have.”
“Never mind.”
“Oh no. Go on. What have you heard, pray tell?”
I can feel my cheeks warming to the same color as the basket of geraniums that hangs off the side of the ship near our table. “You and that Bunny Perera girl from Golden Academy. Thatyou …” I can’t make myself finish:That you knocked her up.“And maybe some other girls?”
His laugh is dry and humorless as he leans back in his chair and shakes his head slowly. “Ofcourse. Why am I even surprised? You realize you just did exactly the same thing, right? Only I was joking, and you’re not. You’re repeating gossip that you actually believe.”
“I didn’t say I believed it!”
“Don’t you, though?”
“Is it true?” I ask.
“Why do you care?”
“I don’t.”
