Page 25 of Silver Tears

“Have you been stalking me?” I ask him, frowning. How had I not noticed him? “Did you follow me the day you saw me with my brother?”

He shrugs nonchalantly. “Maybe. I’m good at reading people and I just knew you were hiding something. Perfect little Milly with her perfect grades. Volunteers at the dog shelter and a top-grade pupil. Everyone has a dark secret, and I wanted to know what yours was.”

“Stalker tendencies. That’s a big red flag, you know. Do you have secrets?”

He snickers and leans forward, tapping me on the nose. “If I do, you’ll never discover them. Now our third date. By this stage, we are pretty gone for each other. We go bowling and I, of course, beat you, because, well, I’m fucking amazing at bowling.”

“Or,” I suggest, “maybe you were beat for the first time by a girl. Then you think you know what, it’s hot being beat by a girl, and you fell for me.”

He laughs, shaking his head at me. “More like I won at bowling, and you were so impressed by my bowling and skating skills you knew you were on to a good thing. You wanted to lock me down as your own.”

I roll my eyes. Such an ego.

“I know your secret, remember? So, I call the shots.”

My eyes narrow at him. “How could I forget I’m being blackmailed into dating you? In real life, I would never date you.”

He shakes his head at me and half-smiles. “You avoid eye contact when you’re lying, you know that?”

I don’t answer him, I merely stare back at him as he challenges me with my truth. “So, this all starts tomorrow?”

“Today anonymity. Tomorrow my girlfriend. I’ll pick you up in the morning for school.”

I open my mouth to protest and glare at him when he covers it with his hand. “And don’t even try to say no. If we’re the real deal, we’d ride to school together. You’re besotted with me, remember?”

“Besotted. Right,” I reply dryly. This whole darn situation is going to be a nightmare.

MILLY

Itossed and turned in bed all night, willing today not to dawn. But it’s here. There’s no going back. If I want to keep my secret, I have to play Seb’s game. I study myself in the mirror and, pulling my shoulders back; I tell myself I can do this. How hard can it be to pretend I adore someone I hate? I plait my hair and spray my favourite perfume and take a few deep steadying breaths. A car beeps outside, and I’m down the stairs like my arse is on fire. Somewhere from in the house I hear Damon call for me.

“I’ll see you there,” I yell as I yank the door open and rush outside. I pray to God neither of my brothers see who’s waiting on our drive.

Seb waits in his car, arm hanging out the window. He has his shades on and an easy smile on his face. “Good morning, precious.”

“Will you quit calling me that?” I climb into the passenger seat and slam the door shut. I fasten my seat belt and look up when I realise he isn’t moving. “Can we go? Like now! The longer I can put off either of my brothers’ knowing about this, the better.”

He smirks. The bastard is stalling on purpose.

“Seb!” I demand, my eyes boring into his. “Drive the damn car.”

He chuckles as he places the car in drive and finally takes us away from my house. “I got you an iced caramel frappe.” He gestures to the two cups between us.

“Erm, thanks.” I take the cup and eye him with surprise as I take a drink.

“That’s what a good boyfriend would do, right? Bring his girl coffee in the morning,” he says, tapping at the steering wheel as he hums quietly along to the song on the radio.

“Do we have to do this? I’ll do anything else. I’ll do all your college work until you leave. Wash your car. Iron your clothes.”

He shakes his head, laughing. His curls fall into his eyes. “I already have people to do all those things for me, but thanks for the offer.”

The journey to school is over too fast. When we drive into the school grounds, I sink down into my seat as low as I can. I wish I could be invisible for the day. My actions earn me a snicker from Seb. He grins at me like he is loving every minute of this. Seb pulls into his space at school beside Archer’s car and kills the engine. He moves to climb out of the car but stops when he realises I’m still hiding. “Come now, precious. And remember, Oscar winning performance.”

Archer, Eliza, Rafe, and Vee are all deep in conversation when I climb out of the car and throw my bag over my shoulder. Seb winks at me and gestures with his head for me to join him. The chatter falls silent when I walk around to Seb, and smiling at me, he places an arm over my shoulder and kisses the top of my head.

“What the actual fuck!” Eliza exclaims, staring open-mouthed from Seb to me and back again. “Why do you have your arm around Milly?”

Seb shrugs. “It’s no big deal. Mills and I are dating.”

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