Page 2 of The Secret We Keep
She huffs.
Oh my God,she knows.
“Fat chance I’m letting this one go. He shouldn’t have cut my Barbie’s hair off. This is just payback.”
Unlike my older brother, everybody in our little village loves Paddy O’Keefe. His charm, his brilliant brain, and now his apparent bad boy side… there really isn’t anything not to like.
When I look at him, he grabs my attention like a thief. Tall. Chestnut hair. Well-dressed for a thirteen-year-old. Yeah, Paddy O’Keefe might be at big school now, but he is still the boy all the girls atmyschool talk about.
As if he can hear the wild thoughts running through my mind, he looks over his shoulder.
Fiona yelps, tugging the hem of my party dress.
I grab Holly’s arm, pulling her down with me, and we fall behind a giant tree stump, my bare knees hitting the ground. When I look at Holly, I quickly cover my mouth with my hand, desperate to stay quiet.
“That was close,” Fi eventually points out, sniggering from our hiding place.
We listen intently for any signs they might be coming our way, my lips rolling into my mouth to stop my nervous laughter.
Low chatter from Paddy and his friends echoes through the trees. Just the thought of us getting caught has my legs trembling.
Fi quickly slides her gaze over me, and my cheeks heat, embarrassed that I’m clearly not hiding my feelings for her older brother very well. “Hold this.” She swings her backpack to her front, thrusting it my way.
I hold it steady, chancing a glance at Holly, who’s enjoying this as much as Fi is.
When I look back at Fi, she pulls a camera from the backpack. “We need a few pictures, then we get out of here.”
I nod in time with Holly.
“They looking this way?” Fi looks at Holly, who peers over the log.
“Um, you could say that.” Holly stands abruptly, her voice jittery. “Time to go.”
I jolt when Fi does, both our arms and legs scrambling.
“Run!” Holly cries, and we spring into action, scarpering as though our lives depend on it.
“I see you, Fi! And you, curly fries,” Paddy yells, making my heart flutter like it has a mind of its own. I love it when he calls me that because of my hair.
Laughter bursts from all three of us as we pick up the pace. I try to ignore the ticking in my chest when I look over my shoulder and see Paddy and his friends gaining on us.
Crap.
Paddy jumps over a log before his feet come to a stop, and he glances up, his eyes connecting with mine. For a second, everything fades. My feet slow. My breath catches. My tummy flips.
“You know, a picture would last longer.” And then he smiles. It’s warm. Real. Not just any old smile, the one that makes something inside me feel like sunlight whenever I see it.
My cheeks burn hotter, and I quickly snap a picture before looking away and running again, my laughter getting caught with my breathlesspanic, not just from his footsteps behind me, but from the thrill of being chased by the boy I’ve had a crush on forever.
The moment of truth
Paddy
StoneyGrange,England–Present Day
Here we go. Here wefuckinggo. The moment of truth.
Am I strong enough to see this weekend through? I can already say that I don’t think I am, but this is the perfect opportunity for me to try and do something right.
