Dirty Little Secret

twelve | questions

Riley

"How's the knee?" Sara asks when we find an empty table in a corner.

"It's seen better days."

"And your knee was your only injury, right?"

"I had a few bruises but they went away quickly," I inform her.

Sara wastes no time in getting to her point. "What's going on with you, Riley? What are you doing to my boys?"

I stare down at my hands resting on the table as tears fill my eyes. "He told you?"

"Not exactly. He told me pieces, I put together the rest." She says gently. I look up to see her disappointed expression.

I could tell her the entire truth. Tell her how her beloved baby boy is beating me and taking advantage of me. But a mother knows her son best, so I'd just look like a crazy slut in the end.

So I decided to go with part of the truth. Because in the end, I've known Sara for two years. We're not strangers.

"Honestly? I've been feeling lost lately." I say with a hoarse voice. "And that absolutely doesn't excuse what I did but, I don't know. I don't feel like myself these days. And this is a shitty excuse but Gabe hasn't really been there much lately." I feed her the same bullshit I fed my sister. The same bullshit Lucas heard, and believed. "I guess I was feeling lonely."

"So you took advantage of Lucas?"

"What?"

Her expression softens. "I see."

My brows furrow.

What the hell is she talking about? I didn't take advantage of him.

"I don't judge you, Riley. You're human. You're allowed to make mistakes." She reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. "But I don't think you should see either of my sons anymore. It's not fair to them."

I meet her eyes. "What?"

"Lucas doesn't deserve this. And Gabe sure as hell doesn't." She gives my hand another squeeze. "You've got to let them go, sweetheart. You're getting tangled up in something that'll be too messy to fix."

All I can do is nod, because I don't have the right words for this. I don't have the right words for anything currently. God, I wish I could just erase everything and start over.

I want to start college over.

Maybe then I could tell myself not to agree to get ice cream with Gabe at the young age of eighteen. I could tell myself not to fall for his charms.

Sara gives my hand one last squeeze before she stands. "You have to decide whether Gabe finds out or not." She tells me, pushing the chair in. "I hope you choose correctly."

I remain at the steel table until halftime.

"Riley! We've been looking everywhere for you!" Luna's voice echoes my way.

I wipe the tears from my cheeks and turn to look at my best friend and sister. To my surprise, Lucas is also with them.

"Have you been crying?" Lou asks.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Allergies." I lie.

"In January?"

"It's common in Texas." Lucas cuts in and I mentally thank him.

"Interesting," Lou mutters.

Hailey's gaze bounces between Lucas and I, and she does the one thing I least suspect her to do. "Hey Lou, I have to pee. Come with me?"