Page 99 of One Little Lie
Shit.
“You’ve got it bad,” Seth announces. “I cannot believe GG is going to be right again.”
I stare down to where my heart is. I was sure everyone in here could see it attempting its escape out of my chest, but all I see is the rapid rise and fall of each shallow breath.
At some point in the last few weeks, I’d taken to singing, “Hello, panic, my old friend,” in my head to the tune of Simon & Garfunkel’s song, “The Sound of Silence,” anytime my heart began to race. But when everyone gapes at me, I realize I mumbled it out loud.
“Listen, I know that was fucking weird, okay? Rylan has been doing all this meditation crap around me, so when my—” I clamp my mouth closed with an audible snap.
“When your what?” Colton asks with more sympathy than I’m used to from him.
“Nothing. It’s nothing, okay? I just woke up and haven’t had any coffee yet. Leave it alone. Please.”
I don’t have the courage to make eye contact with anyone, so instead I stare at my bare feet and count to ten. In my peripheral vision, I can see heads shaking and nodding. All my brothers attempt to have a silent conversation over my head while I pout like a little boy.
Grow up, Halton.
Lifting my gaze, I find Easton across the room, studying my face. He’s wearing an expression of understanding, and I’m thankful when he speaks up.
“Listen, aren’t we here to talk about him getting the girl?” Easton’s voice is gruff, but he’s softened since being here in Vermont.
I hadn’t noticed before, but his shoulders aren’t hunched around his ears anymore. The thick, bulging veins in his neck have receded, and he’s no longer in permanent Hulk territory.
I’ve been here for weeks. How am I just now noticing this? Suddenly, I’m frantic to see what else I’ve missed, and I go face to face, scrutinizing every line, every smile. Have I been so wrapped up in my woe-is-me bullshit that I didn’t notice these major life changes in my brothers?
Easton crosses the room and lays a heavy hand on my shoulder. While everyone else discusses my dating habits, Easton speaks low, so only I can hear.
“It just hits you sometimes, right?”
“What?” I could barely get the word out.
“Everything you’ve missed while buried in a cloud of grief.”
My gaze snaps to his, and again, understanding passes between us. We’ve always been the grumpy assholes of the family. Well, at least for the last few years, anyway. Regarding him now, I see all the subtle changes in him. His relaxed posture. His softened tone. Even the way he looks at someone has softened.
“Happiness looks good on you, East.”
He nods sagely before piercing me with honesty. “It would look really good on you, too, you know. You just have to want it badly enough.” He allows a few seconds to pass, then glances around the room as the rest of our brothers bicker about the best first date options.
“Are they talking about me?” I ask, horrified.
“Yup. It’s probably best just to let them work it out. It makes them feel like they’re helping, even if you and I both know the only one who can make a change is you. Come on, I want to show you something.”
He nods toward the door, and I almost laugh. When I peek back at the group, I realize they’re so deep into planning, they’ll have no idea I’m gone until it’s too late.
“What are you waiting for?” I whisper yell. “Get me out of here.”
Chapter 34
Halton
“You know, I’ve spent years hiding my pain because I thought it was better than dumping my shit on all of you. Losing Dad, and trying to navigate life, I’d like to think I was protecting you all, but after everything exploded with Lexi, I’m starting to realize that I was protecting myself more than anything.”
Easton went through the wringer with an ex-girlfriend and a giant misunderstanding between him and his best friend. We both had reasons to be assholes, but he hasn’t spent years blaming himself for our father’s death.
I grunt in response as he pulls back the bay doors of GG’s old barn. Stepping inside, I’m surprised to see its condition.
“Who works in here?” I ask, taking in the craftsmanship of projects in various stages of completion.
