Page 138 of Sweetheart

Not this time, I thought.

But something stopped me from telling him the full truth.

"It may have alsobeen the medicine," I said lightly. "It makes me emotional. Oh yeah, andit also eliminates my filter, a fact you saw first-hand earlier."

Sam tilted his head. "You still owe me two truths, Kent."

"Not this again."

"Why not?"

Because I have no idea what you'll ask.

"I think this is the perfect time for us to talk."

"When I'm ill and doped up on drugs?"

"When you're unfiltered and too sick to evade my questions," he replied.

Hmph.

"But if you're too scared, I get it."

"I'm not scared of anything," I retorted.

Sam's eyebrow arched calling me on the lie, but I didn't care. Everyone was afraid of something. But being rejected by Sam, who'd been one of my best friends once upon a time?Who was now my perfect fake boyfriend and closecompanionwho I didn't want to lose? Yeah, that would make anyone nervous.

"Ask whatever you want," I said. "But remember, I getto ask you a question too."

Sam sat forward. "No lies."

Taking a deep breath, I lifted my chin and met his gaze."Okay."

"What happened to us?" he said. "Whydid you stop talking to me all those years ago?"

"I can't believe you're asking me that."

"Well, I am."

"Be honest with yourself, Bishop," I said. "You already know the answer."

"Was it because I didn't meet all the requirements on your list?To be your friend?"

I scoffed at that. "Please, you exceeded every one of them."

"Then what made you decide I wasn't good enough?"

"You were more than enough," I said.

"This is what I don't get, Kent." Sam ran a hand through his hair. "You say stuff like that. It was good between us. We were friends one day and then nothing."

"That's not what happened."

Sam waited for me to continue, and I was just irritated enough to keep going.

Why couldn't he just let this go?

Why did he keep pretending not to get it?

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