“She was right there listening last night. I could die of embarrassment. Wyatt probably told her everything.” Tabitha groaned. “What a horrible side effect to liking a guy with a twin.”
“That’s just one of many problems you got to deal with when it comes to Conner. You pick ’em better than I do, and that’s saying something.” Terry wrapped one arm around Tabitha and then reached out with the other. She could feel his palm land against something hard and unforgiving. “Whoa, there, Romeo. Don’t come stomping over here like you’re gonna end my world. I’m your friend. Probably the best friend you got in this whole dang school. You just don’t know it yet.”
“Tabitha.” Wyatt’s voice cracked on her name, making it come out more like a croak of fear. “What is going on?”
Wyatt touched her shoulder, and she flinched. What if this was one of the days Brett came to school? She doubted it since he was up all night long questioning her, but someone could say something to him.
“What the hell?” Wyatt asked again. “What is wrong with her? What happened?”
“Here’s what’re gonna do. Tabitha and me are ditching—”
“Like hell.” Wyatt cut him off. “Look, Dower, I dunno who you think you are, but if you think I’m gonna let you take my girl—”
Tabitha stiffened as a low sound of fear escaped her. She turned her head on Terry’s chest to make sure no one heard Wyatt. They were alone on the sidewalk, which was a small blessing. There were other students mulling around, but they were out of earshot.
“Here’s a concept, Conner; maybe it isn’t always about you,” Terry said slowly. “I’m taking her to my house for a nap because she hasn’t had any sleep.”
“Why hasn’t she had any sleep?” Wyatt barked back, sounding like a cop asking questions. “Why is she crying? And why can’t I touch her?”
“We’re not leaving with you,” Terry went on as if he hadn’t just heard the rapid-fire questioning. “But if you wanna show up at my house at some point, I’m game to that.”
“You are leaving with me,” Wyatt countered. “If she’s going, I am too. I’m not letting you take her alone to your house. I know your parents work all day. No fucking way.”
“We’re trying to keep things on the down low. Dating you ain’t real great for her health. Get it?”
“Then you better figure out a way to be slick ’bout it,” Wyatt said firmly. “I’m going.”
“Oh Christ,” Terry groaned, and Tabitha could feel his head fall back as if he were looking to the heavens for help. “Fine. I got to find my friend. He’s probably already inside. You wait here; I’m taking Tabitha with me.”
“Fuck off!” Wyatt growled in a low, dangerous voice. “No, this is bullshit. I dunno why she’s standing there crawling all over you, but—”
“I’m gay,” Terry snapped in a low voice filled with frustration. “I’m totally fucking gay, Conner. I’m not taking your girl from you. She is not my type. So can you tone down the macho bullshit about five hundred degrees?”
It was such a startling, impassioned confession everything else in Tabitha’s mind was pushed to the wayside. She looked up at Terry in shock. “Is that true?”
“Yeah, that’s why my parents sold my car.” Terry looked away, a dark blush staining his cheeks. “They caught me.”
Tabitha put a hand to her mouth in horror and mumbled against her fingers, “Was it terrible?”
“Yes,” Terry said with a bitter laugh. “It’s still terrible.”
“I’m so sorry.” She hugged him again and placed her face back against his chest. “So very sorry.”
“I think I just killed your boyfriend,” Terry said uncertainly.
Tabitha remembered Wyatt again and turned around, finding him standing there looking at the two of them with eyebrows raised and his jaw hanging slack. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked like he had about as much sleep as Tabitha had.
She couldn’t help but feel guilty about it as Wyatt shook his head, obviously fighting with his exhaustion as he said, “Wait, what?”
“Holy shit.” Terry let out a pained laugh and then in slow, concise words repeated again, “I am gay.”
Wyatt just gaped at him again before he found his voice again, sounding completely mystified. “Why?”
“Uh…” Terry paused, totally flabbergasted. “Because I am. Is that an issue for you? Would you rather me be after your girl?”
“No.” Wyatt seemed to muse over it for a second more. “I just don’t—” He shook his head, clearly still searching for the right words. “Okay, Dower, whatever. I guess that’s your choice, but I don’t get it. You don’t like girls at all?”
“I like them as friends. I like this girl.” Terry squeezed her tighter. “I just don’t wanna make out with them. That’s as repulsive as it can get to me.”
“Wow.” Wyatt nodded, still looking amazed. “Jules would love you. She’s got this whole thing ’bout liberation and—”
“Can we go find my friend now? Meet us in the back of the student parking lot.”
“Right. I guess that makes sense.” Wyatt nodded, still sounding mystified as he hiked his backpack up on his shoulder. Then he glanced at Tabitha in concern. “What happened to your head?”
Tabitha placed a hand over the bandage. “I tripped.”
“Really?” Wyatt asked in disbelief. “Tab—”
“We’re running out of time.” Terry used his hold on Tabitha to pull her away. “Meet us in the back in ten minutes.”
It turned out Terry’s friend with the car was Hal Parker, the biggest, meanest linebacker on the football team, which was saying something, because Wyatt was on the team. Hal didn’t look thrilled about giving them a ride. He kept glaring at the two of them.
When they were to the back door of the school, he stopped, his gaze resting on Terry’s arm casually draped over Tabitha’s shoulder. “You two dating now?”
“Stop,” Terry said tiredly.
“I was just wondering what y’all are planning to do when you get back to the house. Seeing how I’m risking my spot on the team to get you there.”
“We’re gonna fuck.”
Tabitha stiffened, turning to look at Terry with wide eyes.
“Yeah, well, then you can get your own ride back,” Hal barked before Tabitha could find her voice.
“I would,” Terry said, his voice as tense as Hal’s, “but I lost my car. Whose fault is that?”
“Oh!” Tabitha gasped, understanding the hostility now. She looked to Hal in surprise, because no one would’ve guessed that in a million years. With Terry, yes, but Hal Parker. “No way. It was him?”
Hal’s gaze darted back to Terry’s, wild and crazed. “You told her?”
“She’s an artist,” Terry said as if it explained everything.
Hal gaped. “That was your basis for telling her?”
“Yes, no, it just sort of slipped out. Wyatt was being difficult and—”
“Wyatt Conner.” Hal’s face paled. “You’re joking. You have to be fucking joking.” He backed away and leaned against the wall. He placed both hands over his face and mumbled against his fingers, “Please tell me this is a joke, Ter.”
“She’s sorta dating him and—”
“I play on the football team with him.” Hal was still speaking into his hand. “You knew that, right? That he’s on varsity this year.”
“Yeah, I knew.”
“You did not tell Wyatt Conner’s girlfriend about us. This can’t be happening.” Hal dropped his hands, looking completely horrified. “You ain’t that stupid. It’s not physically possible. He is, hands down, the worst person in the world to know.”