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"I don’t mind," I lied I kinda wanted to know I kneouldn’t be able to forget about it

"So what’s your issue?" He changed the subject and I turnedI could see hi about our relationship that "

"I knohat you hed and I could tell that he eo and she changed," I sighed "She used to be happy-go-lucky and carefree and ould always have fun, but it is like she is bipolar now"

"My ht" His voice was deep and dark and filled with regret "She doesn’t know I can hear her, but she sobs all night and by the ain"

"I’ is okay and her e is okay And my dad does the same But they barely talk They barely look at each other"

"My father doesn’t give a shit about h school and he couldn’t give a shit I thought it was because of o And he still didn’t give a shit"

"I’m sorry" He paused "That must have been painful"

"It was" A tear rolled down my face as my heart beat with sadness "I’ve never told anyone that Not LuI reithout a dad?"

"Yeah It didn’t ushed out of ht he’d care, you know, once he sawhis flesh and blood, but he was distant and cold He has a real fa a dad isn’t always the greatest," he interjected "I know that doesn’t uise"

"I just wanted hiulped out

"Your mom loves you"

"Yes, but she’s broken now" I turned onto my stomach and I couldn’t control the sobs that wracked ht in her eyes anyrass underneath my nose and tensed as I sensed him close to me

"I’ently for a second "I didn’tup painful memories"

"It’s okay" I mumbled, my words muffled

He sat down next to me and I felt him lie flat next to me All I had to do was turn over and then I would see his face I wasn’t sure if I wanted to knoho ht confidante was

"My dad cheats onsilkily in e of his body pressed up against htly "And she knows, but she pretends that she doesn’t"

"That’s awful," I mumbled

"It’s life I just want her to leave hihed "You know, he has an ie to protect He won’t let her leave"

My body tensed at his words and I feltabout his words resonated in e to protect I feltdown next toand I are of every part of his body that was lightly pressed against mine I decided to ask another question, to see if it was hiht hate me for who I hat I was

"I understand My mom had a relationship with ato leave his wife for her, but he didn’t It broke her"

I heard hi that he knew We were both silent for a moment, unsure of what to say I wasn’t sure if I should say his name It was obvious to me that he didn’t want to be known He had to know that everyone fronize him if they saw him I was surprised to hear that he knew about his dad He had never shown that he knew, but then I guess I had never shown I knew either Even Luke and Anna didn’t knohat , and I felt my heart skip a beat He knew then, he knew aboutup

"Bryce?" I slowly rolled over and stared at hi me and on his side so that, when I rolled over, our eyes azed into each other’s We just lay there for a fewat each other’s sad faces and I saw in him more than a handsome face I saw a kindred spirit, a weakened spirit I wondered why he had been crying; it couldn’t have just been because his dad was a cheat His dad had been cheating for years

"How are you, Lexi?" He smiled at me sweetly and reached over and wiped a teardrop fro at his touch I couldn’t believe I was here, in this moment, with Bryce Evans, the boy I had been in love with for years He was a man now and I felt my heart expand as he leaned in closer to me Our faces were nose to nose and he stared into uess I can see who you are now," I joked and he s about the saht you’d be happy, in preparation for your party toed and sighed

"Really, why not?" I questioned, surprised Bryce was always the life of the party; at least, he had been in high school Not that I’d ever been to ned supreri on in hisforward to it" I tried to make him feel better, but I kneasn’t really true Inext to hi just the two of us I knew that he would barely have time for me at the party, ith Suzannah and Mary and all the other girls anted their hooks in hireed to coly "I wasn’t sure how you felt about ht you saved me?" I said, breathlessly, my heart in my mouth

"I didn’t save you" He looked away froht, huh?"

"Yes" I closedto think about that moment And what happened afterwards I knew I shouldn’t blarabbed my hands "I’m really sorry"

"It’s okay," I whispered to him, softly "It wasn’t your fault"

"II need to…" He paused and I opened my eyes and saw the pain in his face

"It’s not your fault, Bryce" I squeezed his hands, not believing that this ht would ever happen

"That night with Eddie," he started and I cringed "Sorry" His voice was soft and he looked into"Please don’t hate hi about that night

"He wasn’t himself"

"We don’t have to talk about it," I whispered