Page 7 of Breathless

A tinge of pink flushes her cheeks, and when she glances up and aims her smile at me, it hits me in the solarplexus.

Patrick coos behind us. “Aww, bro. You so sweet. No wonder all the buckle bunnies wanna fuckyou.”

I roll my eyes and reluctantly pull my hand from Joey’s so I can start the truck. Glaring at Patrick through the rear view mirror, I mumble, “Why do you have to ruineverything?”

I hate when he does this, talks about other girls in front of Joey. I’ve played the field from time to time, but never in front ofher.

Plus, I’d have to be a moron to not know she had a crush on me when we were kids, but she probably would’ve liked whichever one of Silas’s idiot friends pulled her out of that well. I figured she was over it by the time she dated that Mason douchebag in high school, but I’ve always felt like it would be a dick move to parade women in front ofher.

I might have to act like I spend my spare time screwing around so no one pays attention to what I really do, but that doesn’t mean I want Jojo thinking I’m thatguy.

I should tell her thetruth.

The thought loops in my mind. I almost can’t remember a time when this shit didn’t weigh medown.

But one lie begets another, and I don’t know how to untangle them from the mountain of deceit I’ve been hiding from everyone. Especially when some of those lies aren’t my secrets toreveal.

If there’s one person in this world I want to tell, though, it’sJoey.

We drive in silence as I try to shake off the funk I always get into when I stew over thiscrap.

It’s not until we’re on the highway that I think to ask where I should drop her off. “Where we headed, Bitsy? Back to my brother’s?” I’m sure she and Tori have a lot to catch up on. Ethan and Tori want her to come for dinner tonight, but I’m wondering if she’s too tired to socialize after that busride.

Joey digs through her purse and frowns as she stares at her phone. “What? No, I’m staying at mygrandma’s.”

Patrick and I exchange frowns in my rear viewmirror.

There’s so much wrong with what she just said, I don’t know where to begin, but I don’t have to because Patrick is already opening his bigmouth.

“Can’t, baby doll. Silas sold the house a whileback.”

I bristle at Patrick’s nickname for her, because he’s never acted so infatuated with Joey before, though I have to admit she does look incredible despite her recent roadtrip.

Gripping the steering wheel, I chance a look at her, and her expression says itall.

No, she didn’t know her brother sold her family’shome.

MotherfuckingSilas.

Guess I’m not the only one keepingsecrets.

4

Joey

My eyes glazeover as we wind through town back to the Carter ranch. I’m trying to keep it together until I can lock myself in a bathroom andcry.

How could Silas do this? He said he’d keep an eye on the house until I got back. He knows how much our home means to me. I don’t have many fond memories of my whole family together, but the few I have werethere.

By the time it was just my grandma, Silas, and me, I could almost block out the bad things that had happenedthere.

I roll down the window, needingair.

“Hey.” Logan grabs my hand, but I keep my head turned because I can’t look at him when I’m this close to the edge. “Sorry, Jo. I figured Silas told you, or I would’ve.” He squeezes my hand. “It’ll be okay. We’ll figure this out together. My mom and Ethan will know what todo.”

This is why Logan has always been my person. He swoops in to punch my bullies and rescue me out ofwells.

Why can’t I just love you like a friend?It would make my life so much lesscomplicated.

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