Page 71 of Fervency Love

“Sure thing, sweetheart. I’ll be right here.”

Sleep comes at once. It doesn’t last long, but enough for me to feel better when I open my eyes again. Ve is watching me. I’ve been sensing a kind of unease from him since I came back. He’s hiding something.

“Have I been sleeping long?”

“Not even half an hour. You feeling better?” he asks with concern.

“A lot, thanks. I just need to drink something.’

“I’ll go grab something for you. Does a cold beer sound good?”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

After the fireworks, we head home. There’s a growing tension between us. I can’t take it anymore. I ask, “Is there something bothering you? Want to tell me something?”

He glances at me, surprised.

“Why?”

“I don’t know, Connor, but it’s different. What’s happening? You’re here, but it’s as if you aren’t. Please, don’t keep me hanging here. Tell me what’s the matter.”

“To be honest, I’ve been waiting for you to tell me.”

What? What am I supposed to tell him?

“I’m not sure if I understand…”

“Tell me, Abby, did you have fun on your trip?”

“No, not really. Why are you asking?” My stomach cramps.

“Did you keep your word?”

“Of course I did. I didn’t drink.”

“Alright.”

“What’s going on, Connor?”

“You sure you did nothing bad?”

“Nothing besides hugging your shirt, smoking cigarettes, and worrying about your health and our relationship with all those texts I was getting. And I swam topless with the girls once. I did nothing else!”

That’s when a thought hits me. It rams right into me and nearly topples me. Goddamnit! I did smoke weed once. Shit, he knows! I don’t know how… Probably Sonia, the fucking snitch! Anyway, that doesn’t matter. He knows and wants to hear it from me. Shit, what do I do now? Ve keeps silent, but he sees the rising fear in my eyes.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?”

“I just remembered something…”

“Yes?”

“You see… I smoked weed…”

I can hear him sucking in air. He lets go of my hand.

“Are you mad?” I ask uncertainly.

“So it’s the truth! Fuck!” he cries. “Fucking hell, I didn’t want to believe when I heard it! How could you?!”

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