“Bailey,” Kaitlyn sings my name, pulling me back to reality. “You okay?” she asks, her eyes searching mine.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” I ask, happy to see she found gloves.
“You were staring at the wall and just seemed kind of out of it. What are you thinking about?”
“You,” I reply, loving the pink that crawls up her neck into her cheeks.
“Were you thinking about the date you’re going to take me on?” Kaitlyn asks, and I have been meaning to ask, but with the heaviness of the hurricane and managing the aftermath, I didn’t know if it was a shitty idea.
“How does Friday afternoon sound?” I ask, grabbing the crowbar to pry the next plank off.
“It sounds perfect.” She moves into my space, helping me pull it off. “I’m serious about this—about us. You’re not a rebound to me. I really like you, Bailey. It means more to me than you’ll ever know that you trust me enough to tell me what happened while you were gone. I want us to be real.”
I want this to be real more than anything, but at the same time, I can’t help worrying my darkest secrets will erase any real chance we might have.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Bailey
PAST
My shirt is soakedwith sweat from the soccer drills Carter and I have been running through, despite the cooling temperatures. I underestimated how out of shape I would be after months of not practicing. A couple of weeks ago, Carter asked if I wanted to work out with him, and I assumed we’d be running. Instead, we went through his workouts from when he played in college, and it kicked my ass.
“Are you sure we don’t have time to run home and change first?” I ask, taking a long drink of my water, my breathing ragged.
“Trust me, no one will care, but Mom will complain if we’re late.” Carter laughs as we pull up to his parents’ house. “You know, I thought you were supposed to be some superstar soccer player. How are you this out of breath still?”
“Shut up, it’s been over a year since I’ve played. Give me a chance to get back to where I was, and I’ll kick your ass,” I retort, flipping him off.
He shoves my shoulder, and I shove him back. I consider it a win when he wavers to the side. I’m nearly as tall as Carter now. It’s starting to feel like I belong here.
It hurts when I see pictures of my family online or in the tabloids at the grocery store, but I haven’t let myself call JJ again. With his birthday and the holidays coming up in a few weeks, my family has been on my mind more than they should be.
“If my mom is making another casserole, we’ll plan to get pizza on the way back,” he says, and I shake my head at him. He isn’t wrong. Kiera’s good at cooking a lot of things, but casseroles aren’t one of them. I found that out last week during Thanksgiving.
“Deal,” I say, hopping out of his car. I’ve spent nearly as much time at this house as I do at Carter’s apartment, so I don’t think twice as I walk in without knocking. The shouting inside stops me dead in my tracks, and Carter bumps into me from behind.
It reminds me of passing a car wreck. It’s terrible, but you can’t help continuing to watch.
“How many fucking lies are you going to tell, Kiera?” her husband yells over his shoulder as he stomps down the stairs. We step into the house, the door clicking shut behind us.
Luna is down the hallway staring at me with her bright eyes and her mouth open, like a deer caught in the headlights.
I don’t have the chance to ask what’s wrong before her dad turns on me, realizing I’m here. “You. Of course you’re here. I almost forgot it’s Sunday.” He scoffs, the look on his face faltering as he spots Carter behind me.
I mean, I know he doesn’t like me, but I don’t really understand why he’s acting like this toward me today, specifically.
“Darren, what are you arguing with Mom about now?” Carter asks as Kiera appears at the top of the stairs. Their relationship has soured over the last few months, as the arguments have started happening in front of everyone instead of only behind closed doors.
“Are you going to tell them, or am I?” he asks, looking back at her.
“Please, don’t,” she begs, and the hair on the back of my neck stands up.
What the fuck is going on?
“Your mother has been lying to all of you. Carter, Sebastian Walker isn’t your father,” Darren says, his words echoing through the house like a gunshot. “She cheated on him during their engagement, and I don’t know who your father is, but I can tell you it’s not him. Which means this kid is a fucking stranger living with you. He’s not your brother. Just a pawn in some sick game your mother has been playing with all of you.”
My body goes numb, as the information attempts to process. I don’t have to look at Carter to know he’s as paralyzed by this as I am.
