Page 34 of One Little Lie
“Of course, but—”
“Well, then you have to trust us. The Westbrook boys of bad decisions actually came up with a pretty good plan. And it’s one he won’t be able to say no to because Ash asked him for help.”
“What does that mean?”
“Do you know the girl that’s missing? Pacen?”
“Yeah, we used to play together at the Westbrooks’ house.”
“Well, Ash needs to talk to her, and he found her on Block Island. He believes she’s hiding on purpose, so you two have to go there and get cozy with the locals to find her. Ash thinks if you go along, she’ll be more willing to come home.”
“I haven’t talked to her in years.” My voice raises an octave as panic sets in. “Why does he think she’ll talk to me?”
“He’s just covering his bases. Unfortunately, there are no rooms or rentals available because it’s such a small island, so you’ll be camping on the property of an old friend of Easton’s.”
Suddenly, something dawns on me, and I shake my head, my chestnut hair grazing the tops of my shoulders. “And Hatty has no idea I’m going, I take it?”
“Nope, you’ll be a surprise, and with all of us standing there, he’ll have to get in touch with his feelings.”
“Or he could slam the door in my face and make things worse.”
“What would you rather do? Take the risk and try to heal, or keep living knowing you can never fully give yourself to anyone else because he still has your heart in his grasp?”
Geez. I hate that Lexi is so good with words.
“Why are you so invested? You’re the one that was just calling him a stalker and giving attitude about it all.”
Lexi places her hands on her hips, and Ari backs up nervously.
Freaking great.
But then, Lexi does the most un-Lexi-like thing ever. Her beautiful, baby blue eyes fill with tears.
“Sometimes, your heart knows what you need before your brain will allow it.” Her hands drop to her side, and she worries her fingers. “Listen, until recently, I didn’t believe in love. Once bitten, twice shy and all that, but these damn Westbrooks have a way of weaseling their way into your life and never letting go.”
I feel my face scrunch into a frown as I regard her.
She shrugs. “I saw something in you I recognized, okay? I don’t want you to go through all this pain if it was all a misunderstanding …”
“A misunderstanding?” I scoff. “He was very clear that night, Lexi. And the fact that he won’t stay in the same room with me now is pretty telling, don’t you think?”
“The Westbrooks are men of honor, even if it kills me to say that. I just think … I don’t know. After talking to Easton, I think there might be more to this story. I guess it’s up to you if you want to find out what that is. Do you want to try to salvage something that smells suspiciously like forever?”
“What if it’s not, though?” My voice is barely audible, fear gripping my throat tightly. “What if he meant all the nasty things he said? It’s not like he’s made any attempt at all to reach out. Wh-What if I get hurt again?”
Ari propels herself forward like a slingshot and wraps me in a hug that nearly knocks me over. Lexi sighs but steps forward and wraps her long arms around the both of us.
“He may not have reached out directly, but it sure seems like he’s been doing everything he can to hang on to you. And if you get hurt again, we’ll kill him. Then we’ll all help you pick up the pieces. But it’s your decision. Do you want to corner him for answers, or live the rest of your life with a broken heart?”
Closing my eyes, I force back the tears. He hurt me so badly. Can I willingly put myself out there again? Can I handle any more rejection?
“Rylan?” My eyes fly open at Ari’s soft voice. “You said he’s been keeping tabs on you. Protecting you from afar all this time? That doesn’t sound like a man who hates you. It sounds like a man so in love he can’t let go.”
If my heart beats any harder, I think I’ll pass out.
“Geez, girl! You get super sweaty when you’re nervous.” Lexi grimaces and steps back.
Yeah, it’s not pretty. It was fine when I was younger; I was a tomboy. But now? Not cute.
