Page 92 of The Truth of Our Secrets

The air charges with his anger.

This is my day of reckoning. The day I have to pay for my sins. The day the love of my life is going to walk away. The day my heart recognizes that I’m falling in love with Emmet at the very moment he’ll leave with her.

There are no more lies to tell. No more excuses for protecting either of them from the truth.

“It’s not mine, but I’ve seen it. Peter said…” I don’t want to hurt him anymore. But there’s a desperate urge to know what tragedy Peter cashed in on and how badly I fucked up. I don’t have the right, but I ask anyway. “What happened?”

“You used my living nightmare to push me out of her life when I needed someone the most.” He’s deadly calm and his voice chills my blood.

“Peter asked Emmet if he told me about that. Someone tell me what the fuck is going on.” Madyson’s eyes shift between us and her hurt expression stabs my heart.

Emmet said he wouldn’t lie if she asked him directly. His chin juts out defiantly and if I don’t tell her, he will.

He was right. The truth always finds a way to the surface.

The beginning seemed so innocent, but it turned into a web of betrayal. “You talked about Emmet all the time, and I wanted to help. You know, I talked to the coach at the community college and showed him some tape of Emmet. He was more than excited to get a player like him. Helping Emmet made you happy, and it brought us closer. Peter thought he was scamming us and would eventually demand money.” Two pairs of outraged eyes stare at me.

“I didn’t believe him. Peter’s petty and jealous. So I dismissed it.” My gaze holds with Madyson. “You witnessed his temper tantrums when he felt left out.”

She nods as tears streak down her cheeks. I’m causing her pain, with no way to make it better. My hands flex with the urge to touch her.

Turning to Emmet, I say, “I don’t know how he got the picture. I wouldn’t put it past him to hire a private investigator. To prove he’s smarter than us and you were after our money. Instead, he showed me this and told me you were arrested for attempted murder.” The lie lands like a grenade and Emmet steps back,holding his hands up to defend himself against my words. But the truth has to come out.

“He found the record of your mother being admitted into the hospital and said because you were only seventeen, the court sealed the documents. And since your family lived in a trailer park, it wasn’t newsworthy.”

“I was eighteen, but you believed him,” Emmet spits out as an accusation.

I should’ve done my own research. I should’ve checked to see if he was back in school or asked Madyson. Peter told me it was best to leave her with happy memories of him and not taint them with the truth. He said she’d blame us for being right and she’d leave us as if I’d done something wrong too. As if she’d leave us both. As if Peter and I and would always be together. He played on every one of my insecurities.

“I did.” I don’t break his stare because I deserve his anger.

Madyson shrieks and flies at me, punching me in the chest, but my eyes lock with Emmet’s.

“I have to go to work.” Emmet walks out of the room and doesn’t look back.

Madyson collapses, crying and yelling and beating her fists on my chest. I take every blow. I can handle her anger.

The apartment door slams, sending echoes through the room.

The final nail in the coffin. I wonder if we’ll ever see Emmet again.

Madyson deserves him, but I don’t. I kept them apart for too long.

I’m afraid of what happens after she calms down. Being afraid won’t change the outcome.

I have to stop using fear as an excuse to hide things. Or in this case, avoid her anger and the conversation.

“Tell me what you and Peter did.” She pushes away from me and, like Emmet, sinks onto the carpet. Waiting. Waiting for me to confess.

“This is what Alec accused me of needing—your protection. I don’t need it. It’s demeaning, like I’m not your equal partner. I hate it.” Her face is red with anger and her nails dig into her palms.

I don’t hold back. I tell her how Peter answered her phone and told Emmet she wanted to cut contact. How he blocked Emmet’s real number and changed it to a number that had been disconnected.

“I told you something terrible had happened in his life and I was desperate to get in touch with him.” Her green eyes fling daggers along with the animosity in her voice.

“I thought you didn’t know the truth.” I’m so stupid for believing Peter. He constantly lies.

The hard realization hits that I’m no better. It’s easy to say I did it to protect her, but she could’ve dealt with the truth. He would’ve been proven guilty or innocent, and it would’ve been up to her to decide on a relationship with him.

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