Page 83 of Run For Me
“No,” I say quickly. “I don’t know what she’s talking about.”
It’s the simplest answer, the easiest way to stop this conversation. If I tell Amelia more, I’d have to start from the beginning. I’m not doing that. What’s the point when this thing may already be over?
JT has a girlfriend?
I’m in the bathroom, hiding away in the stall, staring at my phone. I’m already ten minutes late for class, so it’s safe to say I won’t be going. My stomach is sour, and I haven’t been able to think clearly since I left the cafe—since that girl confronted me about her boyfriend.
I’m trying to figure out how to handle this.
JT told me he didn’t have a girlfriend and that he wasn’t sleeping with anyone else.
He lied to me. I trust him with… so much. With everything. And he betrayed me. Did he think because I haven’t seen his face that this wouldn’t come out?
I knew nothing would come of him and me, nothing more than what we’ve been doing, but I at least expected him to be truthful.
Of course, this could be a mix-up, and there is a way to find out, but I’m pretty sure I know what the answer will be if I ask him.
JT was watching me at the party. We hooked up… while he was there with his girlfriend.
Gross. Ugh, that’s so gross! What if he hooked up with her first?
Don’t get ahead of yourself.
There’s a way to find out.
I type into the chat box, hoping he isn’t in class and will answer me.
Me:If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?
Seconds pass like hours, my fingers trembling as I wait for the little bubbles to dance. When they do, I feel sick to my stomach.
JT:Always.
It’s a small bit of relief, but not enough. If he’s lying about having a girlfriend, he could be lying about this—about everything. Which is why I’m not going to ask him if he has a girlfriend. I have to be smarter than that—I am smarter than that.
Me:What is your name?
My hands tremble even more, waiting for an answer that will change so much. Asking about the girlfriend would make him lie, if he was lying. But what’s the harm in telling me his name? Of course there’s the chance he’d lie, but why?
Because knowing who he is ends his game.
Damnit, I hadn’t thought of that. Still, it’s worth a shot. And in the end, if there is no way to get around this, I’m just going to ask. I’ll tell him what happened and go from there. I won’t keep doing this with him if he’s with someone, especially someone like her. I can’t compete with a bombshell like that girl. Those are exactly the types of girls guys like him go for. It makes this even more believable. And it fucking hurts.
The bubbles dance and stop. Dance and stop. Finally, a text comes through.
JT:Are you sure you want to know?
Me:Yes.
Me:Just your first name.
I add the last text quickly, so he knows I’m not trying to find him or look him up. I could still do that with only a first name, but it’s likely I want it for other purposes.
JT:If you want to know who I am, I can just show you.
Me:I don’t.
Me:That’s not why I’m asking.
