Page 54 of Dirty Little Secret

“You act like this has been going on forever when it’s only been a few weeks.”

“Please, Willow. You two have been dancing around each other since I’ve known you. Probably longer. But especially since last summer. When we stopped hanging out with your brother this year, I just thought you were over it. The parties. The craziness. His frat brothers. But mainly, I figured you wanted to move on from Finn.

“I never would have guessed you were heart broken. Not in a million years, because you never let it show. You pushed on, kept your focus on school, and pretended like he didn’t exist. I should have known better, figured it out sooner. But now that you have him, don’t be afraid to let your emotions show. Let people see how much you love him. There’s nothing to be ashamed about. That boy is crazy about you.”

As Kendall’s words sink in, I try to remember a time when I wasn’t head over heels for Finn. He’s the only man I’ve ever really wanted. Sure, I dated a few people in high school, but none of them were serious. They were nothing more than a passing fling. My heart wasn’t available to them. I kept it locked away, waiting for the one man I wanted to gift it to, to open his eyes. I was convinced he didn’t see me in the same light I saw him. I was Max’s little sister and nothing more.

And when I thought he had finally changed his mind, nine months ago, he crushed my heart.

Not on purpose. I know that now. Still, the pain was real. And I held onto that pain this entire year. Thinking he didn’t want anything to do with me. That I was nothing more to him than a quick fuck. A one-night stand.

Wham bam thank you, ma’am!

I couldn’t have been more wrong.