“You need to tell her the truth,” Hans said. “My guy atRolling Rocksaid Catiana told them everything.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” Ashley insisted. “Nothing was bad.”
“Tanner told Catiana that Sam is Sami Jo,” Hans said this matter-of-fact like it was just standard run-of-the-mill conversation.
But Sam felt those words crushing her heart with each syllable Hans uttered.
“It didn’t happen like that. She guessed, and then he accidentally didn’t correct her. I was there. I know what happened,” Ashley assured.
“Tell her.”
“Life has hurt her enough. I will do nothing that will hurt her more and telling her will hurt her.”
“The fact that you knew she’d figured it out and still didn’t tell your friend? Catiana spilled that too. They’ll use it next. This won’t end,” Hans said.
What?Sam required a second—possibly many—to sort through that.
No, it couldn’t be true, because that made no sense. Why would either of them keep this from her?
She stepped away from the door of the bus and hurried to the one she shared with Tanner. She grabbed her purse, a hoodie sweatshirt, and she decided it was time to disappear again.
Not forever, only to give herself some time to think. To get past the anesthetized feeling in her fingers and toes so she could process it all.
Then she’d figure out their future, and if they still had one together.
Her future, and what came next for her.
Chapter Twenty-Three
TANNER
Tanner would not panic.This wasn’t the time.
“She’s not with you?” he asked Ashley. “She went to find you.”
“What?” Ashley turned a few shades paler than usual, so quickly he could see it even in the low light of the streetlamp outside the stadium where they’d parked the busses. “Oh crap. Let me get Hans.”
Tanner shot off a text to Sam.
Tanner: Need to see you.
No response.
He pressed the icon with her photo, putting through a call.
Straight to voicemail.
Fuck.
The air seemed to be thicker all of a sudden. Harder to breathe in.
He texted again:
Tanner: Where are you?
Nothing. No dancing bubbles alerting him she was responding. No read receipt. Nothing.
Tanner: I love you
