Page 147 of Trust Me

“You’re tense,” Dean said quietly.

I swallowed hard, trying to force a smile. “I feel sort of nauseous.”

“Oh. Do you need something?”

Blake looked over at us, and his eyes narrowed slightly. It felt like an accusation, stark and cold. Maybe this was why he didn’t like me. Did he know something?

I shook my head and got to my feet abruptly. Everyone looked at me, which only intensified the churning in my stomach. My skin prickled as a cold sweat broke out on my neck, beneath my hair that now felt too warm.

Beyond the sense of belonging, I was bombarded by the weight of expectation. Too many new feelings all at once. I couldn’t . . .

“Excuse me,” I blurted.

Blake’s dark eyes were the last thing I saw before I darted out of the room. I thought about heading to the bathroom, but I didn’t want to be stuck in there. Once I closed Dean’s door, I sat on the edge of the bed and dropped my head into my hands. They shook, and I pulled them back, staring at the tremors.

What the hell was this?

I was in unfamiliar territory. Despite all my years of imagining what it’d be like to have a family, I wasn’t prepared. Not one bit.

I’d given up on this dream. That was the kicker. It had been more than a decade since I let myself hope for anything. It was me and Remi, sort of separate but the closest thing to family either of us would ever have.

Then Dean came along.

I wouldn’t lose him, even if this made him angry. I’d figure it out, just like I did everything in my life.

When I did decide to tell him, we’d talk about it and we’d get through it. It would be up to him if he told his parents. This was his family, not mine, and that meant I had to tread lightly.

Good thing I was an expert at walking on eggshells in houses that didn’t belong to me.