Текст книги "Our Little Secret"

Автор книги: Ashelyn Drake

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Текущая страница: 14 (всего у книги 15 страниц)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

While Toby is in detention, I drive to Tori’s house. I decide seeing Toby and me together would only piss her off more. Going alone—while totally terrifying—is the only way. I use the hidden key under the welcome mat to let myself in because I know there’s no way Tori would willingly open the door for me.

I head straight for her room, knowing that’s where she’ll be. The door is shut, and even though the polite thing to do is knock, I let myself in.

Her head jerks up, and her eyes widen at me. “What the hell? Get out of my room! How did you even get in the house?”

“Tori, please. I need to talk to you.”

“I have nothing to say to you, Becca. You betrayed me. You went behind my back and you destroyed our friendship. Now go! I don’t owe you anything, and I’m certainly not going to sit here and listen to more of your lies.”

“This isn’t for me. It’s for Toby.”

She narrows her eyes. “What makes you think I’d want to help him either? He’s half of your deceitful little pair.” She gets up and tries to push me back into the hallway, but I dodge her and step fully into the room.

“Meredith is going to accuse Toby of forcing her to sleep with him.” I get the words out as fast as I can, making sure she hears them. “Please. He’s your brother—your twin. Meredith is going to destroy him. And not just at school. Something like this sticks with a person. He doesn’t deserve this. You know he didn’t do it. That’s not him.”

She whirls around on me. “He doesn’t deserve it?” A twisted laugh comes out of her mouth. “Maybe he does. Maybe this is payback for what he did to me. What you both did to me. Whatever you both get, you deserve it, even if it’s at Meredith’s hand.”

Who is she? This isn’t my best friend. She’s completely consumed by rage. “You can’t really believe that.”

“Don’t tell me what I believe. You have a hell of a lot of nerve, you know that?” She points to the door. “I want you gone. Now. Or I’m calling the cops.”

“Go ahead.” She sounds like Meredith, threatening to press charges on me. “Meredith may beat you to it, though.”

“I heard what you did to her.”

“I did it because of you. She was going to try to destroy our friendship. I couldn’t let her.”

“No, because you did that all on your own. You didn’t need any help.”

“I know. I went about it all wrong. Believe me, I get that. I feel awful, Tori.”

“So awful you’re going to break up with Toby?”

What? Is that what she wants me to do? “You can’t be serious.”

“What if I am? What if the only way I’ll even think about forgiving you is if you don’t see him anymore?”

“I…” I can’t do that. I know I can’t. “Toby isn’t just some fling. Why can’t you see that? I’m in love with him.”

“Get out.” Her voice shakes, and I can’t help wondering if she’s about to burst into tears. “You’re no better than Meredith. You used me. Used me to get to him!”

“You think I was your best friend for seventeen years just to get to Toby? Are you listening to yourself right now?”

“Insult me. That should help your cause.” She scoffs at me.

“I didn’t mean to insult you. I’m only trying to show you that we’re best friends because we get each other. We always have. Until now.”

“Yeah, because you went behind my back. God, Becca, you did this. You have no right to accuse me of anything.”

Accuse her? “I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. You’re going to say my rule is stupid. That I never should’ve enforced it. That none of this would’ve happened if I’d let you be friends with Toby in the first place.”

“You think I blame you?”

She stares at me, her eyes red and full of tears. “Don’t you?”

“No.” I step toward her, but she backs away. “I blame myself. I should’ve been honest with you, but I thought that would only hurt you. I thought maybe if you saw how much Toby and I care about each other, you’d see the rule wasn’t necessary. But I was wrong. I shouldn’t have tried to prove you wrong. I should’ve just talked to you like my best friend.”

“You need to go.”

“No, Tori. Please.” I thought we were making progress. Why is she kicking me out?

“I’m done.”

“But I’m not. I don’t want to lose you or Toby. Can’t you see that?”

She nods and the tears spill from her eyes. “You just don’t get it. I can’t. I can’t be second to him, but I can see I already am. So I’m done.” She turns and walks out on me. I hear her car start in the driveway and watch out the window as she drives away. I drove her out of her own house.

***

“You tried. I appreciate that.” Toby sits on my bed, fidgeting with his hands.

“I really thought I was getting somewhere. She cried. She broke down, and I thought maybe she was going to forgive me or at least tell me that with time she’d get used to us being together.”

“Stop thinking about it. It’s over.”

I sit down next to him and lean my head on his shoulder. “It can’t be.”

“Then why is it?” He kisses my forehead. “Look, after Friday, I’ll understand if you don’t want to be with me anymore.”

I jerk my head up. “What?”

“You don’t have to go down with me. There’s no reason to let this lie bury both of us.”

I shake my head and swallow the lump in my throat. Leaving Toby after this kind of accusation will make him look guilty. I’m not about to do that. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ve waited seventeen years for us to be together. Meredith isn’t taking you away from me.”

He looks down at the floor. “If she goes through with it, I’m asking my parents to send me to my aunt’s.”

“To live?” I squeeze my pillow in my hands to keep from jumping out of my skin.

He nods.

“You’re just going to leave?” That would look like he was admitting his guilt.

“What choice will I have? No one here is going to talk to me.”

“I will.”

He frowns, and I get it. I’m not enough to pull him through this. Having one person on your side when the rest of the town is against you isn’t enough. I feel sick to my stomach.

“I—”

“I’m sorry, Becca. I wish I could say I’m sorry I kissed you that day in my room when I started all of this, but the truth is, I wouldn’t take back one second of the time we’ve spent together.”

I break down and cry. If he hadn’t kissed me, he wouldn’t be in this mess, yet he wouldn’t take it back. How can the universe let Meredith Ackles, bitch supreme, take down someone as sweet as Toby? “It’s not fair.”

“We still have two and a half days together. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather spend them with you in my arms than worrying about Meredith. Friday’s going to come no matter what we do. We can’t change it.”

I’m not sure what he’s actually asking me. Is this about sex? Because I can’t sleep with him knowing he’s going to leave and never come back. “I can’t.”

“That’s not what I meant. I really just want to hold you.”

“Oh.” I feel guilty for even thinking he’d use the situation to get sex. In a way that made me no better than Meredith, and that’s not what he needs right now. “I’m sorry.”

“If you don’t even believe me, I’m really screwed.”

“I do believe you.”

He nods, but I can tell it’s not sincere. I lean back on my bed and pull him to me. Instead of kissing me, he lays his head on my stomach. I run my fingers through his hair. We stay like that, not talking, not doing anything but holding each other, until my dad makes him go home for the night.

I barely sleep, and first thing in the morning, I text Tori.

Becca: Please, think about what I said. Meredith is going to accuse Toby at the pep rally. Forget about forgiving me. Don’t let her destroy your brother.

 

I wait, but no reply comes. I’m not surprised. Toby and I hold hands between classes and do all the things he swore made couples get tired of each other. And he initiates all of it. I know he’s not trying to make me get tired of him. He just wants to be together as much as possible before he leaves. I don’t ask how he’ll convince his parents to let him move in with his aunt. I kind of assume once they hear the rumor, they’ll understand and want him to move away. I just hope they don’t believe a word of it. I hope they know their son is one of the good guys.

I skip my afternoon classes, choosing to hide out with Toby on the bleachers. The gym classes haven’t started coming outside yet, so no one catches us until last period when the security cop does his rounds in the parking lot and hauls us into Vice Principal Davidson’s office.

“Well?” Davidson drums his fingers together in front of his face. “Which one of you would like to explain why you felt the need to cut your afternoon classes and sit on the cold bleachers for hours?”

Neither of us says a word. I don’t want to make this worse. I just want my detention because that’s more time I can be with Toby.

“Fine. Since neither of you wants to talk, it’s a week of detention for you both. Mr. Michaels, that means you’ll have detention all of next week as well. And I’ll be calling both of your parents.”

Wonderful. Mom and Dad are going to ground me for at least a month, and I’m sure they’ll put an end to Toby tutoring me too.

Davidson looks back and forth between us. “Go. I don’t want to see either of you right now. Just know I’m highly disappointed. A few weeks ago, neither of you had any prior infractions, not a one. Now, you’ve both gone off the deep end.” He shakes his head and waves us out of his office. “Just go. I can’t look at you anymore.” I refrain from telling him that he’ll be seeing us in about ten minutes when detention starts.

Toby walks me to my locker. “Sorry I got you in trouble.”

“Are you kidding? It was my idea. I wanted to get detention.”

“Why?” His brow wrinkles.

“To be with you. I’m not losing a second with you.”

He takes my hand in his and kisses the back of it. “I don’t even know what to say except you’re amazing.”

Every moment with him feels like a good-bye. Maybe because I know that’s where we’re headed. To a good-bye.

Davidson separates us the second we walk through the door, so we’re reduced to texting and staring at each other for the hour.

Toby: I probably shouldn’t come over tonight, huh?

 

Damn it. I can’t let my parents keep me from seeing him. We don’t have much time left together.

Becca: Yes, you should. Just wait until after my parents go to sleep .

 

Toby: Sneak in?

 

Becca: Why not? I’m already grounded. What’s the worst that can happen?

 

Toby: I hate that I’m making you into this person who lies and sneaks around. I never wanted this.

 

I look over at him and sigh.

Becca: You didn’t. And like you, I wouldn’t take it back.

 

Toby: I love you.

 

Becca: I love you too.

 

After detention, I go home and face two hours of my parents’ screaming. I tune them out after about thirty minutes. I can only take so much of “We’re so disappointed in your lack of judgment. What would make you think it was okay to skip class for a boy?” I can’t tell them the truth. They’ll end up making me break up with Toby. They’re too overprotective to blindly accept Meredith’s accusation as a lie.

When they’re through yelling, I go to my room and lock the door. I text Toby.

Becca: Come now.

 

Toby: Already here. Parked next door.

 

Becca: At Meredith’s?

 

Is he crazy?

Toby: Tried to reason with her one last time.

 

Becca: Any luck?

 

I hold my breath, waiting for his response.

Toby: None. Give me a second to move my car down the road so no one sees it.

 

I unlock my window and open it all the way. Toby comes walking up the driveway, barely visible in the dark. He climbs the tree in front of the house and slips in the window.

“You made that look easy.”

“I was determined.” And most likely fueled by rage after talking to Meredith.

“What did Meredith say?”

“She gave me an option.”

I perk up for a second. “What was it?” I’ll take just about anything over what she has planned.

“She wants me to publicly dump you and promise to stay away from you for good.”

With all the secrets and all the lies, I should’ve expected this, but it doesn’t hurt any less because I know what Toby needs to do. I won’t let Meredith ruin him because of me. My heart clenches as I look into his eyes and say, “Then do it.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“No way. I’m not humiliating you in front of everyone, and I’m not going back to sneaking around. I don’t want her to have this kind of control over me for the rest of my life. She’ll back off for now if I go through with this, but the next time I piss her off, she’ll threaten me with it again. I’m not going to be her bitch.”

“Then tell her you’re going to do it. Friday. At the pep rally. Only we’ll out her instead. We’ll tell everyone how she threatened us. How she made you pretend to date her. We’ll expose her for a liar before she can say anything.”

“What if she tells everyone anyway? Some people may still believe her. I don’t exactly have a big following anymore.”

Once again, I know Tori could fix this. People would believe her over Meredith. But she won’t help us. She probably wants to see us suffer as much as Meredith does. “This is our only option, unless you do what Meredith asked.”

“No.” He reaches for me and pulls me to him. “I’m not breaking up with you.”

I lean my head back and find his lips. His kiss is hungry. His hands are in my hair and then running up and down my back. He pulls me closer, but I back us up to the bed.

“What are you doing?” he asks when we’re lying on the mattress. “I’m not asking for this. I’m sorry if I got a little carried away just now, but this isn’t what I was trying to—”

I press my finger to his lips. “I know. I just thought we’d be more comfortable here.”

He smiles, and I lower my finger to kiss him again. We’re a tangle of limbs as he kisses my mouth, my jaw, and my neck. I have to stifle a few moans. The last thing I need is Dad breaking down the door. Finally at about midnight, Toby lies flat on his back, and I put my head on his chest. We fall asleep in each other’s arms.

He’s gone when I wake up in the morning, but he left me a text.

Toby: Telling Meredith before school. Hope this works. I love you.

 

Becca: Good luck. I love you too.

 

It’s Thursday. Our last day together if our plan doesn’t work. While Toby is talking to Meredith, I make one last attempt to talk to Tori. She’s at her locker with Ryder. Ryder nods to me when I come up behind Tori.

“Can I have a minute alone with Tori, please?”

She turns to look at me and slams her locker shut. “No.” She loops her arm through Ryder’s, but he doesn’t move.

“This is ridiculous. Toby is my best friend, and I haven’t even talked to him since your party. Becca’s your friend, and you haven’t talked to her either. Personally, I think it would be great to all hang out together, like we did at your house that night. So can’t you two just suck it up, do whatever girl-bonding thing you need to, and get over this?” He kisses the top of Tori’s head and walks away.

“Bastard,” she says, looking after him.

“Actually, he’s a pretty great boyfriend. He wants you to be happy. So do I.”

“Is that why you snuck around with my brother? Because you thought it would make me happy?” She starts toward class, but I grab her arm and pull her into the girls’ bathroom. “Let go of me, Becca. I’m not in the mood to listen to you.”

“Yeah, well, after tomorrow’s pep rally, you may never have to listen to me or Toby again.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “What are you talking about?” She obviously deleted my text without even reading it, because this is news to her.

“That’s when Meredith is going to make her announcement. That is unless Toby publicly dumps me instead.”

A smile creeps across her lips.

“Yeah, I know you’d love that, but what’s going to stop Meredith from making her announcement some other time when Toby gets on her bad side again? You can’t possibly want that for him, Tori.”

“Look, I’m sorry if things didn’t work out the way you and my brother planned, but it’s not my problem. You chose this. If you’re smart, you’ll tell Toby to dump you. Save you both some pain and suffering. Cut your losses and find some new friends.” She walks out, taking all my hope with her.

Toby’s leaning against my locker when I get there. “Any luck?” I ask.

“I told her I’d do it. She seemed happy about it.”

“I talked to Tori again.”

He stands up straight. “I can imagine how well that went.”

We don’t say another word about it for the rest of the day. We have to stick to our plan and hope for the best. Toby comes over again at night after my parents are asleep, and we make out like there’s no tomorrow because I don’t want there to be one. But before I know it, the sun is up. Only this morning, I’m still in Toby’s arms.

“You stayed.”

“I couldn’t make myself leave.” He must be just as worried as I am that our plan isn’t going to work.

“So, are you ready to dump me?”

“Not even close.”

I roll over onto my stomach so I can look him in the eyes. “Listen to me. If our plan doesn’t work, I want you to break up with me. Give Meredith what she wants. I won’t let you move away. I’d rather give you up than see your life ruined.”

“I never bought into that ‘if you love someone, let them go’ crap.”

“Well, I’m asking you to. For me.” He shakes his head, but I cup his face in my hands. “Promise me, Toby.”

“I hate this.”

“Believe me, so do I.”

I kiss him softly on the lips before I get ready for school and our possible breakup. The day flies by. It’s like time doesn’t exist anymore because all the seconds run into each other. And before I know it, they’re making the announcement to call everyone down to the gymnasium for the pep rally. Toby finds me in the hall and pulls me into the girls’ bathroom.

“You’re making a habit of this,” I say with a nervous laugh.

He smothers my lips with his. I can feel all his tension, and I want to cry because my insides are aching for him. “I love you,” he says, pulling away.

“I love you too.”

“We’re going to walk in there together. Hopefully this will go in our favor, and we’ll walk out of there the same way.”

I shake as I place my hand in his and nod. We follow the crowd into the gymnasium. Toby and I huddle together on the bleachers. I look for Tori, and find her sitting with Ryder, Jeff, and a bunch of girls, Meredith included.

“I can’t believe she’s hanging out with Meredith.” I motion to the group.

“My guess is they’re not really friends. They’re just coexisting since they both want to hang out in that crowd.”

I can’t imagine Tori putting up with Meredith, but maybe hating Toby and me is enough to bring them together.

“When do you think—?”

“Meredith will come out with the cheerleaders,” he says, answering the question so I don’t have to say the words out loud. “She said she’ll call me up to the microphone then.”

“And you’ll…”

“Tell everyone the truth.”

“And if Meredith tries to interrupt with her story?”

He sighs.

“Toby, you have to do it. Please, promise me you will.”

He doesn’t say a word, but I can see his answer in his eyes. And that means I’m going to have to intervene and make up a story of my own. One that makes me look like the pathetic loser instead of Meredith.

The pep rally begins, and I see Meredith leave her spot on the bleachers and head to the locker room with the other cheerleaders. My breath catches in my throat with the announcement of every team. After about four other teams, the cheerleaders are announced. I clutch Toby’s hand, and he gives me a weak smile.

Meredith is announced as captain, and she walks over to the microphone. “Good afternoon, Lansfield. I have a very special announcement to share with you today, but I’m going to need some help. So if Toby Michaels could please come down here, we can get started.”

The crowd mumbles and heads turn toward Toby. He squeezes my hand before getting up and walking down the bleachers. My heart is pounding so hard I’m afraid I’m going to need medical attention.

“Toby has something he needs to tell everyone,” Meredith says, stepping aside and smiling at Toby.

Vice Principal Davidson tenses at the unplanned change of speakers, but he doesn’t try to intervene.

Toby steps forward and faces the crowd. “I know a lot of you aren’t exactly on my side anymore after my breakup with Meredith, so I felt I should clear some things up.” Meredith’s eyes narrow, but Toby continues. “That breakup you all witnessed in the hallway was staged.”

Meredith shoves him in the shoulder, but he doesn’t budge. He grabs the microphone and keeps going. “Meredith was mad that I broke up with her, and then she caught me kissing Becca Daniels, which pissed her off even more. So she made me pretend to date her.”

“Don’t listen to him! It’s lies!” Meredith screams and tries to rip the microphone from Toby’s hands.

I stand up and make my way down the stands. I can’t let her do this. I can’t let her ruin him because of me.

“All Meredith cared about was her reputation. She blackmailed Becca and me. None of it was real. She lied to all of you, just so you’d like her again. You can’t believe a word she says.”

Meredith lunges at Toby, clawing at his chest and face. Vice Principal Davidson and Mr. Rollar pull her off him and separate them both. Then Davidson returns the microphone to the podium, probably thinking that will end the outburst.

“You can’t listen to him!” Meredith screams. “You don’t know what he’s really like. He’s a monster. I can prove it. Just let me speak!” She’s flailing in Mr. Rollar’s arms.

Davidson’s watching Toby, making sure he doesn’t try to retaliate, not that Toby ever would, physically at least.

“She’s lying. That’s what this is all about. Meredith and her lies.” Toby’s face is bright red with rage. I rush over to him.

Meredith doubles over, her body heaving with sobs. The second Mr. Rollar releases his grip on her, she rushes for the microphone. She tricked him.

“Toby Michaels”—she jabs her finger in Toby’s direction—“is more than just a liar. He’s…he’s…”

Maybe even she can’t do something this horrible. I silently pray she’ll come to her senses. That she’ll realize this goes beyond anything she’s ever done, into unforgivable territory.

Mr. Rollar pulls her away from the microphone, but she continues to yell. “He got me to sleep with him, and then he dumped me. He used me. For sex. That’s the kind of person Toby Michaels really is.”

Oh my God. My stomach drops as she says the words to seal Toby’s fate. It could’ve been worse. She could’ve accused him of rape, but she didn’t. She just made him out to be an asshole instead. The gymnasium is dead silent. Toby shakes his head, but he doesn’t say a word. I look at him and move toward the microphone.

“My turn,” I tell Meredith.

“No. She’s just as bad as he is. They’re both trying to ruin me. Becca assaulted me at Tori’s party, and she tried to punch me at school the other day too.”

I want to do more than just punch her right now, but if I attack her, everyone will think she’s the one who’s telling the truth. I ignore her and grab the microphone instead, ripping it off its stand on the podium before one of the teachers can stop me.

“Do you want to know the truth?”

“Miss Daniels, give me that microphone and take a seat,” Davidson says.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not giving up this microphone until everyone hears what I have to say. Meredith is lying.”

“No, I’m not!” she shrieks.

Mr. Rollar still has a good grip on her, and this time he doesn’t look like he’s going to let her go. He nods for me to continue. That’s interesting, but then again, he’s always liked Toby and it’s clear I’m about to defend him.

“I did something really stupid. I went behind my best friend’s back and dated her brother. I broke her trust, and I lost her because of it. I don’t blame her for hating me. I hate myself for hurting her. But I’m in love with Toby Michaels. I know the kind of person he is.”

“A liar!” Meredith screams.

“How dare you?” I whip around and stare at Meredith, microphone still in my hand. “You couldn’t handle Toby breaking up with you so you forced him to pretend to date you just so you could be the one to end it. You blackmailed both of us, and then when people started making comments about him and me dating, you couldn’t take it so you made up this story about him forcing you to sleep with him. You’re pathetic. You’re the lowest form of life there is to make up something so destructive.” I turn back to the crowd. “She’s lying about all of it because she’s worried about her reputation. Toby would never pressure any girl into sex. He’s not like that.”

“That’s enough, Miss Daniels,” Davidson says, finally yanking the microphone from my hands.

“Hold on,” Tori says, stepping down from the bleachers and walking toward Davidson. “I have something to say.” By the look on her face, I think this is going to be even worse than what Meredith has done.