AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Kyle told me he wanted me to text him when he left," I quietly explain. "But he also said he's really busy and won't be back for a few months. I don't know what that means."
Fallon laughs. "It means he wants you to text him."
"I'm confused," I tell her.
She shifts slightly, angles her body across the table in my direction, arches a conspiratorial eyebrow. "Boys aren't like girls, Jenny. When he says he wants you to text him, he means it."
"But he said he was going to be busy." I pull out my sandwich, start opening the plastic bag it's in.
"He probably told you he was busy because he won't be able to come home and do the nasty with you for a few months. But I can guarantee you, he definitely wants to do it again," she winks at me.
"That sounds too…"
"Simple?"
I take a bite of my turkey sandwich, mull over Fallon's words while I chew. "That would explain all the kissing we did before he left. I seriously couldn't get him off me."
"I don't know how you made both Thompson brothers fall madly in love with you, Jenny, but you are a fucking queen."
We both break into uncontrollable laughter.
That is, until Matt walks over with his backpack slung over one shoulder, an orange lunch tray in hand. His golden brown hair is tousled, probably from running his fingers through it all day. I notice the dark circles under his eyes have reappeared.
"Can I sit here?" he asks me.
I nod. "Sure."
He sits down beside me, drops his backpack on the table, sets down his lunch tray, and scoots closer so his thigh is flush against mine.
He looks defeated, exhausted.
"Did your jock friends exile you?" Fallon grunts. "Or are you fighting with your girlfriend?"
"I don't have a girlfriend," he snaps at her.
"Could have fooled me," she quips back. "I know what happened at Brad's party. Sounds like—"
"Whatever you think you know," Matt grits his teeth and balls his fists on the table, "keep it to yourself."
I look from Matt to Fallon, then back to Matt again. They're death-glaring each other across the table, the tension stifling, suffocating.
"What happened at Brad's party?"
Matt breaks eye contact first, swallows hard, tries to hide the guilt marring his face as he looks over at me. "Nothing, Jen. Nothing you need to worry about."
I look back to Fallon who takes another bite of her banana and raises both shoulders at me.
Kyle, I fucked up so bad.
The image of Matt racing towards Kyle's car the morning after Brad's party comes to mind, the panic in his voice as he asked for his brother's help. What did he do that was so horrible? And why is Fallon pretending she doesn't know?
I should confront them both, demand they tell me what they're hiding from me. But I don't. Because sometimes it's just easier to pretend everything's fine.
Especially when it's not.
We eat in silence after that, no one saying a word. Fallon keeps her eyes trained on her phone, refusing to look up. Matt's left leg restlessly bounces against mine and I'm afraid his jeans are going to sear a hole through my black leggings from the friction. I rest a hand on his thigh, a little farther up than I mean to, and dig my fingers in. His eyes flick to mine and I see something smoldering in them.
"Your leg," I breathlessly choke out from the intensity of his stare, "it's annoying me."
