Jeez. Not something a girl ever wants to hear. My stomach—which was already in knots—started to churn. “This is not how pictured this evening going,” I uttered. Where was Rhett? He had to of seen Ben drag me into this room. Why hadn’t he come to my rescue yet?
Ben cleared his throat and went on. “What I’m trying to say is that…at that moment in time, I didn’t appreciate how much you cared. I was stuck in my own issues, my own problems, and my own depression. I was too focused on those things, and on what I’d lost, to notice you back. But I’ve thought about you every day since ‘my death.’ Every day I’ve been tempted to contact you and tell you the truth. To tell you that I do care. To tell you how stupid I was. And to tell you how much I wish I could go back in time.” He took a few breaths. “Sydney…because the truth is…I think I might be in love with you.”
Wait. What?
He moved closer across the room.
I only held my coat a little tighter.
“What do you think?” he asked.
I think that my mouth was dry, and that I needed a glass of water. I’d waited years to hear to these words. And now that I’d finally heard them, I wished that I could unhear them. I already had someone who loved me. And he didn’t love me as an afterthought or as something born out of his problems. He loved me. Period. And it was Rhett that I should be with right now, not Ben.
“I think…” I uttered. “I mean I know…that you’re too late. I’ve moved on. I have a boyfriend, a very serious boyfriend, the forever type of boyfriend, and to be perfectly honest, it’s just too late for us. Like a year too late. I’m sorry. It’s just—” I stopped myself because I didn’t know what else to say. There wasn’t anything else to say.
He gave me a weak smile. The closest thing I’d seen to a smile since we started this conversation. “I understand,” he told me. There was no anger in his voice, only regret and sadness.
My heart broke for him. What in his life had been so bad that he’d felt the need to graduate early, leave this town, and subsequently pretend to be dead? Something pretty awful, I assumed. “You mentioned you lost something before. What did you mean by that?”
“Nothing.” He shook his head. “It’s in the past, and I’m trying to move on from that. Just poor decisions on my part. Sometimes one wrong choice can haunt you for the rest of your life.” For a moment I thought he was going to spill his guts, but the moment quickly faded and passed. “So who’s the guy?” he asked. “The boyfriend?”
“Rhett Morgan. Ellie and Noah’s friend,” I answered, a little apprehensively. This was the first time I’d been asked this question.
“I know who Rhett is.” He smiled, giving me a pointed look. “I am surprised though. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I do. So…I’m gonna go.” I gestured for the door, giving him a small smile. Suddenly it felt like this giant weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Closure. That was what this was. Everything with Ben was finally and completely over. And I left him before anymore words could be exchanged and before things had a chance to grow awkward. There was somewhere else I needed to be—someone else I needed to be with.
As I left the study and returned to the living room, part of me feared that Rhett might have left the party early. By talking to Ben for as long as I had and being alone with him like that, part of me felt a tad guilty. What if Rhett was pissed at me for this? But Rhett wasn’t really that type of person. He was pretty relaxed with most everything. So a bigger part of me knew he’d still be here. I came into the living room and sure enough, he was still here.
I was relieved and excited to see him. Also, slightly emotional. Cutting across the room, I hurried toward him. We came together and I immediately fell into his arms. His embrace was strong and sure and exactly what I needed. I held onto him rather tightly.
“You okay?” he whispered against my ear.
“Yes,” I answered.
He pulled back to look down at me, brushing my hair out of my face. “Are we okay?”
“Never better.”
“Okay. Good.” And as easy as that—that was the end of it. The Ben thing would never again be an issue between us. A giant sigh of relief left my lips as I settled in against Rhett’s side. He kept his arm firmly in place around my waist.
“I knew it,” Noah uttered. He stood next to Rhett, shaking his head at us. “You two are the worst liars in the world.”
“No more lies,” Rhett told him. “This is my girlfriend.”
THE END
Keep reading for a preview of Last To Know by Micalea Smeltzer.
About the Author
Sarah Darlington, a New Adult and contemporary romance author, resides in Virginia with her husband, three-year old son, and one more little one on the way. Best known for her Kill Devil Hills Series, she’s also a former flight attendant, with a degree in school counseling, and harbors a huge passion for traveling. She’s especially set on visiting all 50 states.
Sarah Darlington Online:
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Website
Books by Sarah Darlington
He Belongs With Me
Leo Maddox
Kill Devil Hills Series:
Kill Devil Hills
Changing Tides
Pulled Under
LAST TO KNOW
by Micalea Smeltzer
Chapter One
The grass crunched beneath my feet as I followed Sadie through the fair entrance. I hadn’t even wanted to come. I would rather be home reading or playing the piano, but Sadie, who’d been my best friend since we were in diapers, was relentless.
It was the first official day of summer vacation and she didn’t want me to lock myself in my house until school started in August and I was forced to emerge.
She called this fun.
I called it hell.
“Isn’t this nice, Emma?” She chimed, clapping her hands together. Her brown eyes were bright and happy.
“Uh…nice isn’t the word I’d choose.” I wrinkled my nose at the trash littering the grass. Some guy bumped into me, knocking me to the side. I reached up to keep my hat from falling off. It was one of those large black round hats that helped to shade my face from the sun. Sadie said it looked ridiculous, but I liked it. I’d never been one to take another person’s opinion to heart. My mom raised me to be a free spirit like her, so I always did my own thing.
“Emma!” Sadie groaned when she saw I’d been separated from her. “Taking you places is like having a child. I take my eyes off of you for two seconds and you’re gone.” She grabbed my arm, dragging me through the crowd. “Willow Creek is playing and I won’t miss this! I had to give Adam Carson a lap dance to get these tickets at the last minute.”
“Ew! Sadie! You gave him a lap dance?!”
People turned to stare at us with my exclamation.
“A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.” She gave me a look like I’d know exactly what she meant.
“I don’t even want to go!” I complained. “I don’t know who they are, and I won’t like their music anyway!”
“Well, we can’t all be freaks that listen to classical music, like Beethoven,” she argued.
“Why don’t you go on without me,” I pleaded, semi impressed that she knew who Beethoven was. “Look, food!” I pointed to a stand. “I’ll get something to eat while you go listen to them play and we’ll meet up afterwards.”