Page 95 of Drown in You

The question falls between us. Deb hesitates for a beat too long. “I care about him.”

That’s not how I would answer that question about Luke. “I know. But...do you love him?”

She didn’t want to tell me the story about how she met my father—she wanted to tell me the story about how she met Luke’s.

Deb takes a gulp from her wine, draining the glass before sighing. “I think Mike still loves your mother.”

I shake my head quickly. “No, he loves you?—”

“Sarah’s always been the one for him. He always wished he could win her back, but he never felt like he deserved her.”

I can’t deny it anymore because that’s almost exactly what my father told me when I confronted him about leaving us behind.

“Loneliness brought us together. But I’m not sure it’s enough glue to keep us that way.” She turns to me. “Do you think your mom still loves Mike?”

“She hasn’t said anything to me.” But even though my mom might not have ever admitted anything out loud, I know her.

I know the pain she’s suffered in the years since the divorce. How poorly she’s coped with the demise of their relationship. I could lie to spare Deb’s feelings, but I know what Luke’s lies have done to me and mine to him.

Deb deserves to hear the truth. We all do. “But I do think she’s always been searching for his replacement, and she’s never found one.”

In the family room earlier, she’d looked at Dad with longing in her eyes. For a love they once shared. For a life they once lived together. The same way I’m sure my friends have caught me looking at Luke. For a future we’ll never get while our parents are married.

“If I had to guess...I’d bet she’s still in love with him.”

After a stressful day of phone calls, hushed conversations, and outbursts, Deb has managed to get her lawyer and team on the case so they can figure out who did this and expunge the video from the internet.

But I already know exactly who’s behind this. “It was Marcus.”

All three of them turn to face me from where they’re hunched over computers and phones at the kitchen table, Deb with folders and a fan of printouts at her side.

Dad sits across from her while Mom stands nearby with her palms flat on the table. She frowns at me. “How would Marcus have gotten that video?”

“He filmed it himself.” I bite my lip. I never told her about the run-ins with Marcus on campus because I didn’t want to worry her after she’d sent me away to escape him. And after the Devils confronted him, I mistakenly thought Marcus wouldn’t dare to mess with me again. “I thought I saw him at that party, but he was wearing a mask and I was drinking, so...I convinced myself I was imagining it.”

Mom fixes her glare on Dad. “Did you know about this?”

He shakes his head, morose. “This is all news to me.”

Mom’s eyes fall shut. I’ve never disappointed her more than I have in the past two days. “How did he find you?”

“Luke found a tracker on my car. He attached it to the undercarriage where I wouldn’t see it.”

“Why didn’t you tell any of us, kiddo?” The words leave Dad’s mouth defeated. Like he’s somehow the one who screwed up, not me.

I bite my lip. “I didn’t want to worry you.”

“The only thing I need to do is worry about you, Sienna.”

Mom’s features soften at his words. Until Luke enters the room behind me, carrying his laptop to add to the cause. His empty hand brushes against the small of my back and I flinch, even though everyone already knows about us. Our parents are doing damage control after our sex tape hit our team’s official social media page. We shouldn’t exactly be reminding them of how we created this shitstorm.

“Now that we’re getting all of this settled, we need to talk about the two of you.” Mom folds her arms.

The thick knot in my stomach tightens. This is the moment I’ve been dreading—the moment our parents tell us we need to split up. That I’m being sent back home, or at the very least, far away from Luke. That it’s wrong for us to be together, even though nothing has ever felt more right.

When Luke flattens his hand against my back, I let him. I need his comfort right now more than ever. This may be the last time I ever get it. “Mom, please?—”

“I love Sienna. We’re adults?—”

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