Page 74 of Before We're More Than Friends
I bit my lip. “That’s the thing.”
His mouth dropped. “She doesn’tknow?”
I stared at my desk. “I don’t think so.”
“Dallas Alexander!”
“What?” I threaded my fingers through my curls. “I thought she would’ve connected the dots by now. I picked it up in a heartbeat.”
“You said she’s going through a really hard time, right?” Toby asked. When I nodded, he shook his head. “That’s why. Her mind’s too cluttered. And if she does know, she probably thinks that you don’t know and is doing the same thing you’re doing to her.”
“Gosh, I didn’t think about it.” Had Raina been playing me the way I’d been playing her? Was she talking to her friends right now about the same thing, stressing herself sick about how to tell me the truth without ruining our friendship?
Did she feel the same way about me that I felt about her?
Don’t even dream of it.
“But I have a great solution for this,” Toby said thoughtfully.
Hope rose in my chest. “What?”
“Communication.”
The hope deflated as fast as it’d risen. “Thanks, Sherlock.”
“Come on, Dallas, hiding it will just prolong your pain. She’ll have to know eventually. Get it out of the way instead of playing with her emotions. Playing withyouremotions.”
“I know.” I rubbed my forehead again. “I just don’t want her to be upset.”
“Upset that you hadn’t told her, that you’d been ignoring her, or that you are who you are?”
The sigh I let out made my chest ache. “All of the above.”
Toby shook his head but longer this time. “I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do, but I really feel the longer you wait, the worse the outcome will be.”
“You’re right. I should tell her.” I leaned back in my chair. “I will. I don’t know when the appropriate time will be, but it will be soon.”
Toby raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound too promising.”
“I promise.” I put one hand on my racing heart and held the other one up. “I swear on our Tree.”
He gasped, a hand flying to his mouth. “Not our Tree.”
“That’s how much I mean it.” Swearing on our Tree was an oath as serious astill death do us part. “I’d never lie on our Tree.”
“I’ll drive over and give you a spanking if you’re lying. Maybe even two spankings.”
“You say that as if you won’t wreck the car on the way there.”
“Hey, I didn’t knock down thethirdmailbox. You have to be proud of me.”
“Tenth time’s a charm,” I muttered. “But I promise to never break the code of ethics.”
“I’m counting on you, Dallas Alexander.”
“Stop calling me that, Mom.”
“I won’t until you talk to . . . What’s her real name?”
