Page 134 of His Secret
He opens the door and steps onto the porch.
“You make me feel like everything’s gonna be okay,” I tell him as he walks down the steps.
He turns around and looks up at me. “It will be.” Matías winks, his teeth pulling his bottom lip into his mouth briefly.
“God,” I say, grinning like a fool, three tiny wordson the tip of my tongue as I stare down at his handsome face. “You drive me crazy.”
He chuckles, but turns and heads back to his house. I watch him the entire way, only going inside once I can’t see him anymore.
I flop onto the couch with a sigh, feeling split down the middle. I’m elated to have Matías, but I’m nowhere near in the clear when it comes to Charlotte, or even when it comes to coming out to everyone I know.
There’s a tiny, pin-prick of light at the end of the tunnel, but the journey seems long.
The doorknob turns and the door opens, making me whip around to face it.
Charlotte stands there, her expression a mix of shock and sadness.
“Are you fucking him?”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
ADRIAN
“Charlotte,”I say, standing up, heart in my throat.
She didn’t see anything. We didn’t do anything once the door was open.
Except I stared at him like a love-struck teenager as he walked home. But I never saw her or the car.
“Are you fucking our neighbor?” she yells, pointing toward his house. “Your boss?! Are you?”
“Charlotte, please.”
“No, Adrian. I leave for fifteen minutes, and come back to find him leaving our house, and you standing there with a smile on your face like you don’t care that our marriage is over.”
I get up and walk around the couch, but she moves away like I have an infectious disease.
Her eyes study me, and then something hits her. She gasps lightly, and I watch as her eyes widen. Several long seconds pass by as she watches me, holding onto a thought in her head.
“You said your dad found out in college.” Another long pause as she puts things together. “And you told me youknew him. Our neighbor. You said you went to school together.”
My heart drops into my stomach.
“You didn’t tell me right away, though. You didn’t tell me he was your boss. You didn’t tell me you knew him in college.” After a few seconds, she says, “It’s true, isn’t it? It’s him.” My fear and guilt keep me from finding the words. I just stare at her, my heart rate spiking. “Goddammit, Adrian, fucking tell me! I already know!”
“Yes, he’s the guy from college.”
“And?” she questions, eyes wild with anger.
“Charlotte, let me explain.”
She laughs a humorless laugh. A short choking sound. “Of course. Now you want to explain. How fucking dare you. How dare you!” Her voice bounces off the walls.
“I’m sorry, Charlotte.”
“Sure you are,” she says, more angry than sad right now.
“I know nothing I say will make this better. Nothing I tell you will make you understand, but?—”