Page 33 of Beneath the Scars
I park in our driveway, pausing before I get out of the truck. “She does, Ry. You guys have always shared your secrets.This isn’t any different. She probably just needs time to decide how much she wants to tell you, especially if it started physically.”
Ryan cringes. “I don’t want to know anything about that kind of stuff. No, thank you.”
I snort. “I can’t imagine she’ll keep it a secret for too much longer if it is serious.”
I am scum. I am the dirt on the bottom of a trash can that’s been left outside in the middle of summer. How can I keep this a secret from my best friend? Why am I such a coward?
“I hope not. I just want to support her, you know?”
“I know. And so does she.”
How much longer can we feasibly keep this a secret without our worlds imploding?
Chapter 18
Addie
Iglance around the dark neighborhood, hoping no one’s peeking out their window right now. The gossiping hens would have a field day if they found out I was at my brother’s house when he’s not home.
They can spin a story better than any fiction writer I’ve ever read.
It’s hilarious when they’re talking about other people—less so when I’m the topic of conversation.
Michael opens the door before I can get too paranoid. Maybe it’s our secret relationship, but it feels as if people are always watching me. I’m being crazy. No one knows about us, but all it takes is one person with loose lips, and down our ship goes.
I’ve never been one to keep secrets from my family. I’ve confided in Ryan more times than I can count. For some reason, this thing with Michael is different. It’s monumental. The second our families find out about us, everything will change. Good or bad, it won’t be the same, and I’m not sure I’m ready for things to be different. For the first time, I have Michael all to myself. I don’t want to letthat go just yet.
In his black tee and running shorts, Michael looks stupidly gorgeous. Every muscle is showcased under the stretchy material, leaving nothing to the imagination. I could lick every divot and curve and still not get enough of him. Will he let me do that someday?
He leads me toward the back of his open concept house, where a mouthwatering scent is emanating from the kitchen.
“What are you making?” I ask as he hands me a stemless glass of red wine.
“Enchiladas.”
I raise an eyebrow. “My favorite. You’re spoiling me.” Taking a sip of my wine, I realize it’s also one of my favs.
“Figured since we’re not quite ready to go public, I needed to pull out all the stops for an at-home date night.”
I lean against the counter, the cold marble digging into my back. Michael moves around the kitchen in a way that indicates he’s very familiar with cooking in it. When Carson lived here, he did most of the cooking, so it shouldn’t surprise me that Michael would take over the task. Ryan is abysmal at it, though he tries. It’s become a running joke in our family that anytime Ryan offers to help, we pull out the takeout menus.
“Can I do anything?” I ask.
“Sure. You want to shred the cheese for me?” Michael nods his head toward the block and the grater on the counter next to him. I put on a playlist before getting to work. The low notes of country music provide a background to the clanking of utensils. Michael reaches out anytime he moves by me. The gentle touches across my back or ass provide a connection between us I wasn’t sure we’d have.
He’s always kept himself isolated from everyone else. Initiating contact was rare for him, and I’d always assumed he’d keep his distance with whoever he decided to date. Knowing he’s comfortable enough to touch me whenever he feels like it is a major win in my book.
On the flip side, not being able to reach out to Michael whenever I want has proven to be harder than I expected, but he’s more than made up for it with his nearness. It’s eased my worry over building intimacy between us.
“How did you get out of game night?” he asks.
We’re elbow-deep in rolling the enchiladas, our hands covered in sauce. Despite all the utensils we’ve got at our disposal, I still manage to get it all over myself.
“I just said I had dinner plans with a coworker and I’d be back in time for the second round.”
“Smart to say coworker instead of friend since they know all of your friends.”
“I thought so too.”
