His mouth flattens, unappreciative, as I shift back down into his side. Resting my cheek on his chest.
“Do you ever wonder how many people are keeping secrets from you?”
I’m not sure why that question comes out. Saying it out loud before I fully have time to process it myself. Cole doesn’t make me feel weird about asking though, humoring me.
“Why do you ask?”
“It’s easier, I presume. Hiding things, burying something takes more effort. A lie is simple, as believable as it is effortless if you’re good at it.”
His hand taps at my temple. “Is this what was on your mind earlier?”
Sort of. It was, but it wasn’t, not directly at least.
I’d been thinking back to that night I went to see that book collector. I’d been too distracted with his hands around my neck to realize the truths he’d been spilling.
Something about the way he’d said those things, still not adding up. There was a truth to them that’s been trying to claw its way to the surface of my mind ever since.
He’d called me a thief but worse than that, he accused the Casper family of stealing something he thought his.
It doesn’t matter that the more I dig, the deeper I fall. The facts vet to nothing but another mystery of dead ends.
I can almost joke at the irony. The girl in my favorite book had fallen down a similar hole. Only she’d thought it wise to chase a rabbit to find her answers.
“Nothing makes sense.”
“I think it’s like why my mom always thought she’d touch the moon. She didn’t feel included here. Apart from everything instead of a part in belonging,” Cole confesses and I’m not sure how I feel about his words.
I’m not sure if they help or only make me more curious.
“Why does everything have to be so confusing?” I heave, muddled.
“Give it time. I’m sure the truth will come. It always does eventually.”
I sigh. “You think?”
His hand grips at my hip bone, predatory. “I can always distract you in the meantime if you want?” His tone wolfish.
I wiggle my butt, showing my reciprocation. A distraction might be just what I need after all.
fifty-two
Cole
“Whereisshe?”Finnbarks out the side of his mouth.
“You think my phone would be glued to my fucking hand if I knew?” I seethe, whisper-shouting right back.
Coach is talking to our team in a huddle during the time-out. We’re in the final quarter, down 30-42. His face a nice cherry tomato red as he spews insults between bits of saliva.
He’s frustrated. Well, he can join the club.
We’ve been playing like absolute worse than stepping-in-a-pile-of-horseshitshit.Our minds are not in the game, at least I know the hellhounds’ aren’t. Our distraction affecting the entire team.
“She’s never missed a game,” Eli adds, like I don’t already know this too.
I glance up at the clock. Going against my better judgment, I decide to give Rory another full minute. Sixty seconds of scoreboard clock time, not standard time. If she doesn’t respond by then, then I’m out. I know Finn will be right behind me.
I can see the lines of doubt pressed into his temple. They deepen the more time passes with no response.