Page 43 of His Ex's Little Sister
“Come on.Tellme.”
“You know what? Forget it. He’s an idiot. It’s not worthmentioning.”
“No, I want to hear what he said.Tellme.”
“I can’t. It’s mean andheartless.”
Danielle glares at me. “Tell me!” shedemands.
“All right. He said that when he left town to join the army, you were a virgin…that he didnotget you pregnant…I know, right? Lyingbastard.”
Deadsilence.
Danielle’s face turns green, and after about a minute of shooting me an incredulous stare, she rockets out of bed and runs to the apartment door, locking both the main doorknob and the securitychain.
“Did you tell any of this to anyone at all?” she asks,frantic.
“No. Because it’s not true…right?”
She leans back against the door. A second later, her legs buckle and she crumples to the floor. Tears fall. Her bodyheaves.
“Danielle?” I repeat her name to get herattention.
“It’strue.”
Mary MotherofGod.
It’strue?
What sorceryisthis?
I cross my legs and sit beside her, pulling her into my arms to help her calm down. “It’s true? Good Lord. I’m sorry, Danielle, I shouldn’t have asked. I mean, I didn’t know you’d be this upset… or that it would end up being true. It’s okay. Whatever it is that happened, it’s in the past. None of itmatters.”
I’m lying my ass off right now. It matters, all right. Reid’s reputation is shit in my household. I have no doubt that if my father or big brother ever sees Reid in person, violence against him will follow. Slurs will be hurled. Shit will hit the fan. And all of that slow-burning wrath in waiting is sure to be compounded by one thousand if I spend more time getting to know him. He’ll go frompersona non gratatolets’ form an angry mob and chase him out ofstate.
“I wanted to tell you,” she admits in between sniffles and sobs. “Icouldn’t.”
I rub her back and pull her tighter to my side. “You can tell me all about it now, or whenever you’re ready.It’sokay.”
“No, it’s not. I was so upset that he left, I lashed out. I slept with one of the guys in our senior year. It was a one-time thing, and when I got pregnant, I couldn’t hurt Mom and Dad that way, you know? It was easier to say that Reid did it… to blame him. God, I should have told you the truth. I’m sosorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s over and done with. And I won’t say a word toanyone.”
“Thank you, Robin…but it’sokaynow.”
I study her face. “Mom andDadknow?”
Shenods.
“WhataboutJosh?”
“Yes. I should have toldyoutoo.”
I should be mad as hell for being left out of this family secret, but the big picture is it makes my being with Reid a whole lot easier. “It’s totallyokay,sis.”
“Though… I wonder why he told you after allthistime.”
Crap.
