“How are you enjoying your new school?”

“I like it.”

Especially now that Stone and I are together.

Cole shoves a forkful of meatloaf into his mouth. “Sawyer said you made a new friend.”

I aim my glare toward her. She promised she’d keep me and Stone’s relationship a secret a little while longer.

“Mercedes,” Sawyer says tightly, nudging me under the table.

Damn. I really need to get better at this whole lying thing. “Oh, right.”

Jace takes a sip of his drink. “Well, I’m glad you’re making some friends.”

“You should bring her by some time,” Dylan chimes in. “I’d love to meet her.”

I can’t tell if she’s on to me or not, but I don’t like it.

And I definitely don’t like her. Not anymore.

I stab my meatloaf with my fork. “Yeah, and hey, you know what else might be fun? If you went to the upcoming school dance with her and then made out with her brother behind her back.”

Dad starts choking on his food.

Sawyer spits out her drink.

And Dylan turns white as a sheet.

“What the hell is your problem?” Jace barks.

I stand up so fast I almost knock my chair over. “Her. She deliberately used Liam and we’re all just sitting here like one big, happy family acting like she’s not partially responsible for what happened to him.”

I’m not sure where all this anger is coming from, but I’m shaking with the force of it.

Dylan drops her napkin on to her plate. “I think I’m gonna head upstairs for the night.”

I wish she’d leave permanently.

“I’ll go with,” Sawyer quickly offers.

My thumb hits my chest. “I’m leaving too.”

I start to walk away, but Dad and Cole stand up.

“Don’t,” I tell them. “I want to be by myself.”

With that, I slam the patio door closed behind me and head into the backyard.

I know Jace loves her, but I hate that he doesn’t see the part she played in all this.

It’s like he’s blinded by love.

With an audible groan, I yank my cell phone out of my pocket and shoot Stone a text because he’s the only person who will understand my outrage over Dylan.

Bianca: Hey.

Stone: Can’t talk right now, Bourne. Busy at work.

Well, that ends that.

Stuffing my phone in my back pocket, I wander over to the large in-ground pool.

I’ve been dying to go swimming, but I’m not allowed to until my doctor clears me for it.

The pretty pink sunset bounces off the reflection of the water and I can’t help but admire how beautiful it is.

Too bad Liam isn’t here to see it.

Even though there’s a mountain of grief in my heart, the main emotion gripping me right now is confusion.

Why didn’t he talk to me that night?

Why didn’t he tell me what happened?

We told each other everything.

Why—on the night he needed me the most—didn’t he reach out?

I start crying so hard the pool becomes nothing but a blur.

Not wanting anyone to hear or see me fall apart, I hobble over the cobblestones, heading toward the guesthouse.

Despite the empty space and bare walls, a sense of calm washes over me the minute I close the door.

I have no memories of this place. No emotional ties I can think of.

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, it feels like these walls harbor all my secrets.

All my pain.

I’m not quite sure what the reason behind my fresh set of tears are now.

All I know is it hurts like hell.

It’s as if there’s a physical hole in my chest that can never be filled.

A vital piece of me missing.

A wave of exhaustion sweeps over me and I stagger over to the only piece of furniture in the entire place.

The mattress in the bedroom.

And then I sob until there are no more tears left to cry.

Chapter 23

With shaky fingers, I type Hayley’s name into the search engine.

Instantly, my laptop spits out a slew of results.

Her birthdate and email. An article from our local newspaper that lists all the people from her graduating class. There’s even a picture of her from back when she was on the cheerleading squad at Royal Hearts Academy, a link to her Instagram page, and her obituary.

However, there’s absolutely nothing in the search results about our accident.

Not even a local news station covered it.

Hmm. I’m about to try a different search, when there’s a knock on my door.

“Come in,” I tell Sawyer.

“You have to tell them soon,” Sawyer hisses, quickly closing my bedroom door behind her. “Keeping this secret from Cole is killing me.”

I close my laptop. “I will. I just want to…” Catching myself, I shake my head. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Her brown eyes soften. “Try me.”

“I want to keep him a little longer.”

Stone’s been the light at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel and being forced to say goodbye to him is going to hurt so much.

I want more time.

“Okay, you’re right.” Her features screw up. “I don’t understand.”

I stifle the urge to say I told her so and tell her the truth instead.

“My brothers are everything to me. Which means I’ll never put anyone before them. Ever.”

“Still not understanding.”

“They’re never gonna be okay with me dating him, Sawyer.”

And because they’re my family and I love them…I’ll do what they want and stay away.

No matter how much it might hurt me.

A deep frown works over her face. “Honey…no.”

Now I’m the one who doesn’t understand.

“Yes, it’s going to suck at first. Your brothers will flip out and do their overprotective brotherly thing and order you to stay away from him.” Walking over to me, she cups my face in her hands. “But, Bianca. Your brothers love you. And I know that above everything else—including any pride or anger they might feel—they want their baby sister to be happy. We all do.”

I guess I never thought about it like that before. “You really think so?”

She smiles. “I know so.”

“I’m telling Jace and Cole soon,” I inform Stone.

We’re currently lying on his bed, watching another film in the Jason Bourne series.

Turns out Stone is a really big movie buff.

He turns on his side, facing me. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah.” I run my finger down his stomach. “After Christmas.”

His forehead creases. “Why not sooner?”

“I don’t want to ruin the holidays.”

I figure it’s the least I can do before I drop the bomb of all bombs.

“Wow.” His jaw tics. “Didn’t realize being with me was ruining your life.”

That’s not how I meant it at all. “Stone—”

“Whatever.” He sulks. “I get it, I just hate that we have to sneak around all the time.”