Chapter 30 #2
The intensity of his stare prevented me from leaving. I turned around and sat next to him.
“I’ve never had a girl in here,” he added soberly. I kept my distance. Not even our knees touched. I felt like I’d invaded his space enough.
“I’m sorry,” I stuttered, hoping he’d forgive my intrusion.
But the way he laced his fingers was definitely not a sign of feeling at ease.
“I get the sense that you don’t trust me, June.” William moved one of his legs nervously.
“Well, it’s sorta true,” I muttered under my breath.
“June, can you come closer?”
I moved over, approaching him awkwardly, and our sides touched. William tensed.
“Did you want to tell me something, Will?”
“Yeah, but I’m afraid I’ll scare you away.”
With a jolt of courage, I put my cheek on his shoulder. His sweater tickled my skin. I felt him put his head on mine.
“I’m afraid I’ll scare you away, June.”
“Why can’t you just tell me?”
William lifted his head, forcing me to do the same. He stared at me.
“Do you want to be with me, or do you want the truth?”
I was stunned. “I want to know the truth and be with you.”
Maybe I wasn’t that convincing, because he shook his head.
“Come here. I’ll show you what my dad has up here.”
Or more likely, he still didn’t feel ready to tell me. And all I could do was respect his choice.
William grazed his hand against mine and absentmindedly motioned for me to follow him. We walked along the hallway until we got to a wooden staircase against a wall. There was a trap door above that led to an attic. I climbed up behind William.
When we got to the last step, he gave me his hand and helped me up.
“I can’t believe it.” I sighed when I looked around. If his room was an empty void, this was a whole world.
“It was an old attic. My dad turned it into a library.” It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
My eyes, followed by my fingers, lightly touched all the books. They covered every wall. Some seemed ancient. They didn’t seem to be organized by genre, but I noticed about ten little Agatha Christie novels and beautiful limited editions of Sherlock Holmes.
“I knew you’d like it,” whispered Will, hugging me from behind.
“I love thrillers,” I said.
I’d read so many that I knew exactly how to commit the perfect crime and hide a dead body too. But obviously Will didn’t need to know that.
“Okay, this library is a cheap shot. Are you trying to seduce me, Will?” I joked when I felt his lips tickle my ear. He squeezed me in his arms, and I didn’t move away. It was nice.
“You’re joking, right? Didn’t I already seduce you?”
I leaned back and looked for his lips, but stopped myself before kissing him.
“You can tell me what you want. Really, I won’t judge, Will,” I murmured on his parted lips.
He didn’t answer.
“I heard you talking to Hunter today.”
Will snorted. “We’re meeting up tonight. No big deal,” he muttered, ruffling his sandy-colored hair. He always did that when he was in a tough spot.
“About what?”
“I just told you, it’s no big deal.”
His voice wavered at the end, the lie seeping out.
“So, can I come with you?”
I didn’t want to get in trouble, but I wanted to know more about what was going on. Will’s face changed suddenly. “No.”
“What if I already found out where you were going and you didn’t have to hide it from me anymore?” I held back a satisfied smile when his eyes went wide.
“How’d you find out? Fuck, James is gonna kill me.” Bingo.
“Who gives a shit about James, I want to come with you,” I demanded. William started to tap his fingers on a shelf.
“It’s dangerous.”
I remembered what Poppy had told me about trouble. What was it all about?
“I don’t care. I still want to come, if it’s okay with you. I’m not afraid of a challenge.”
William looked bewildered.
“Okay, so, no.”
An icy silence followed, interrupted by a sudden gesture. I turned away.
“I’d better get home.”
“Hold on, June. It’s not—”
“It’s not blackmail, really. Maybe you’re just really reserved. I wouldn’t fault you for that. It’s just that it doesn’t sit well with me.”
I climbed down the ladder away from his disappointed face. When I got to the lower level, he chased after me.
“June, what are you talking about?” he asked before I could get to the door.
“I’m sorry, but I get the sense that we’re keeping secrets from each other. First the party, then the things you said to James.”
And what Carmen said about him, James warning me to leave his best friend alone . . . how could I ignore all the signs?
“It won’t work,” I concluded.
William seemed to agree. He bowed his head without answering.
“There are too many secrets, and I think it’s better to get some distance from each other before one of us starts to really feel something.”
As soon as I finally said it out loud, I almost couldn’t believe it.
Will’s lips curved down, probably because seeing me ready to leave wasn’t what he’d expected.
“Why? Tell me why you insist on focusing on something like that. Everyone has their own secrets. It doesn’t seem like you’ve told me everything about your past.”
“Will, it seems like you don’t hold me in high enough regard to trust me. If we aren’t honest with each other from start to finish, it doesn’t make sense to see each other. Even just giving it a shot is useless.”
Something came to a standstill in his light eyes, as if he was holding back an emotion. I closed my eyes when he leaned in to kiss me.
“Okay,” I heard him whisper.
“What?”
“You’re right. I should be more honest with you.”
I sighed.
“Give me time and . . .”
I took his face in my hands, and he smiled.
“Can I come with you?” I asked again.
“Yeah. I want you to trust me, too, June.” Our lips grazed each other’s softly.
But I was unaware of the shitstorm I was about to walk into.