Page 53 of A Stealthy Situation

“Why? Are you trying to head-shrink me?” he mocks.

“You’re impossible to talk to.”

“And yet most nights, you won’t shut up from messaging me.”

“Not my fault you reply to everything in about a second.”

He’s mock offended. “You’re not supposed to call me on it, asshole.”

“I think it’s cute.”

He whips around. “You take that back.”

“Very, very sweet.”

Benny gets me in a nipple cripple. “Try again.”

“Sorry, sorry.” I laugh. “You’re the baddest of all bad boys I’ve ever met.”

“Better.” He moves back to his side of the car, but seeing him smile, even the small one he’s wearing, warms my whole chest.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Can’t you just let me surprise you?”

“I hate surprises. The last time I got one was when my parents never came home. Surprise, we’re dead!”

I roll my eyes. “You were a kid. There’s no way that was your last surprise.”

“This is where you’re supposed to give me sympathy, then feel bad and spill all your secrets.”

“So cute. So, so cute.”

“I’ve changed my mind. Take me home.”

My good mood dulls a notch. “You really are extra grumbly tonight. Everything okay?”

He props his elbow on the door and starts chewing on his thumbnail. “I … It’s nothing.”

“I know we fuck around a lot of the time, but you can talk to me about the real stuff, you know?”

I feel him look at me, and his voice is softer than usual when he replies. “I know.”

“Then …”

At first, I think he won’t talk, but when he finally lets it out, it’s like he needs to.

“There’s not a lot I can say. I’m just … I’m worried about … my brother.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I think he’s keeping something from me.”

“People are allowed their secrets.”

“Yeah …” I don’t like the way he’s holding it all in, but it’s not my place to force him to talk. “We’re super close. I can’t remember us ever having secrets from each other, but every time I try to ask him what his plan is next, he changes the subject.”

That does sound hard, but if I know one thing, it’s that you can’t know everything about another person. No matter how close you are. “Maybe it’s not that he’s keeping a secret. Maybe it’s that he’s working through it himself. I’m sure when he’s ready to talk about it, he will.” If anyone can relate to that, it’s me. I’ve wanted to talk to Benny all week, but until I had the words, I couldn’t. It’s not that I wanted to keep anything from him, more that I want to be sure before I open my big mouth.

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