Page 90 of The Banned Books Club

Gia moved back to the sink to fill the pan she’d used with water and grimaced at her reflection in the window. “We’ve become...friends.”

“Oh, my God! It’s true? I don’t believe it! How could that have happened? You two have always hated each other.”

“We’ve neverhatedeach other. He thought I was lying, so maybe he hated me for a while, but now he knows I was the one telling the truth.”

“He’s Mr. Hart’s son!” she cried. “How can you even look at him without thinking of our former teacher?”

“I don’t know. We’ve both been affected so deeply by what Mr. Hart did that instead of pushing us apart, it started pulling us together, I guess. We began to commiserate, and one thing led to another.”

When Sammie didn’t respond, Gia held the phone more tightly to her ear. “Hello? Did you hear me?”

“I heard you,” Sammie replied. “I’m just...jealous. And so is Ruth. We’ve both done everything we can to draw Cormac’s attention, and he’s nice but never shows any real interest.”

“There’s nothing to be jealous about,” she said. “It’s not like I live here. I’ll be heading back to Idaho after—” She couldn’t bring herself to continue.

“Then it’s not serious.”

“Absolutely not! There’s something wrong with me. I can’t fall in love.”

“Doesheknow that?”

“I’m pretty sure he does. But I don’t see whether it matters. You told me he hasn’t shown any signs of wanting to settle down.”

“That’s true, but...all it takes is one.”

“Stop. If he decided he wanted a girlfriend, it wouldn’t be me.” He might already have decided to move on, she thought. She’d texted him when she saw his light go on two hours ago to let him know she’d be willing to come over, as he’d asked her to do this morning, and bring some bread pudding, and he hadn’t responded.

“Okay, so...at least tell me what he’s like in bed,” Sammie said with a laugh. “Is he as good as we’d hope?”

She laughed, too. “Honestly? He’s probably even better.”

Once he got off work and was paying more attention to his phone, Cormac realized he’d missed several calls and texts from his friends today. And more were coming in, but he wasn’t answering at the moment. All of them were asking if it was true that he was sleeping with Gia.

Cormac had never intended for his relationship with her to become public. That his father would tell his sisters—who must’ve told their husbands and/or friends, who must’ve told the people they knew and so forth—made the hurt and betrayal he’d felt toward his father the past few days harden into something much different. Not pity or compassion. Not even frustration or disappointment. Those emotions were far too mellow and belonged to years past. Now Cormac was feeling downright contempt.

Ignoring all the other calls and messages he’d received, he sent a text to his father.

I can’t believe the lengths you’ll go to.

It was his father’s fault Gia had been abused in the first place. It was his father’s fault that it was still an issue seventeen years later. And it was his father’s fault that the whole town was now talking about what should’ve only been his and Gia’s business.

You’re the one who turned on me, his father texted back.

No remorse. No apology. Stunned, Cormac shook his head.

You’re a child. You know that? A selfish child.

You’re thinking with the wrong head, Cormac. I’ll never understand how you could take Gia’s side over mine.

I’m taking her side because you did it, you freaking narcissist! We’re not in grade school! This isn’t about choosing sides. It’s about standing up for the truth.

And that includes fucking her?

Cormac flinched. Evan was trying to make the intimacy Cormac had shared with Gia sound tawdry.

At least I had her permission, he wrote back. Why did his father keep putting the people around him through so much bullshit?

Because he didn’t care about the people around him, Cormac decided. And that was what hurt the worst.

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