Page 20 of Promised Secret (Promises, Promises #3)

Chapter Sixteen

DAN

My heart was racing through the rest of brunch. I kept watch of Jones, trying to gauge for a reaction, but he was decisively not glancing my way.

By the way he was avoiding both my and Clay’s eyes, I knew there was no doubt we’d been caught.

Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck!

How had we come to this?

It all started with one drunken kiss, and that was all it was supposed to be. But then my greed took over until Clay and I were acting like it was totally normal for two stepbrothers to be kissing.

And now we were caught by Jones, no less. I loved my friend, but everyone knew he was a gossip. I could already imagine it. By the end of the night, the entire town was going to be talking about it, which meant our parents were sure to find out too…

I could already picture my lao-ba’s face of horror at finding out his child was going around kissing his wife’s son.

Jones and Ryan invited us back to their cabin after brunch since Karla was playing at her friend’s house today. I was quick to agree, hoping to get Jones alone to do some damage control.

Jordan and Wren had other obligations and parted with us outside the diner. Ryker and Sam came with us too, stating they wanted to see the puppies.

Clay’s usually calm energy turned excited at the mention of puppies, and as soon as we arrived at their cabin, he was bouncing toward them.

Lily had recently given birth to three puppies. The two black ones were already spoken for after they were old enough to leave their mom, and Jones and Ryan decided to keep Lily’s mini-me for Karla.

I could only watch from afar, being allergic to them and all, but I had to admit the puppies were cute, tiny little things. And Clay looked fucking adorable gushing over them.

Today, I couldn’t even appreciate the view, not when I was full-on panicking.

“Can we talk in private?” I asked Jones while the others were distracted with the pups.

He looked like he dreaded this conversation as much as I was, but he nodded and led me to his bedroom. Shutting the door, he leaned against it with his arms crossed over his chest. He was closed off, his expression unreadable, and I was panicking even more.

“So…” I started, kicking my feet against his wooden floor. I tucked my hands into my front pockets, feeling like I was a kid sent to the principal’s office. I didn’t know the best way to start the conversation, so I ended up with saying, “You saw.”

Jones nodded, crushing any last hope that maybe he hadn’t seen after all.

My mouth was dry, but I still pushed out the words. “Can you keep it a secret?” I asked softly, eyes begging him in request.

He frowned, and something akin to hurt flashed through his face.

“Do you really think I’d blab about this to others?” he asked, and there was no masking the hurt now.

My mouth opened, but I was speechless. I was such a shitty friend because I hadn’t expected him not to gossip about this. That was just how things worked in small towns like this, and even if Jones was one of the best guys I knew, I didn’t think he would be the exception.

The problem was, I’d worried for so long about what would happen when my secret crush was exposed that the only outcome I could see was one where my life imploded. I wasn’t thinking about Jones being my friend. He was the person who’d set off this ticking time bomb.

I missed the chance to explain myself, and Jones let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Wow, okay. I can’t believe one of my best friends thought I could hurt them like that by spilling their secret.”

“Jones, fuck, I never thought that,” I said, swiping a hand through my hair. “I’m just not thinking clearly right now. I’m sorry.”

I couldn’t look at him, so I stared at the floor. I didn’t need another reminder of what a selfish person I was. I only thought about myself, and it didn’t matter who I hurt in my wake.

Jones’ sneakers eventually came into my view. His hand landed on my shoulder, and I finally looked at him. He let out a sigh, but his features had softened.

“I’ve actually known about you two since last weekend,” he said, casually dropping this truth bomb.

I gaped at him. My mouth was on the floor with how shocked I was. He chuckled at how ridiculous I probably looked at the moment.

“How—” Then I remembered Clay and me kissing in the middle of his backyard. “The hot tub?” I guessed.

He nodded.

“Was that why you paid to force us to hug? To stir something up? We were pasted together under that scorching sun for hours!” I complained.

Jones chuckled. “I thought it was a pretty good hint to tell you that I already knew something was up, and that you could tell us if you two were together. Our friends and I wouldn’t judge. Plus, I thought it’d be funny.”

“It wasn’t funny,” I grumbled.

“It was kinda funny.”

I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes, because fine. If I’d been an onlooker instead of the one sweating my balls off under the sun and pressed against a steamy hot man—and I meant that in a literal way. God, Clay produced heat like a furnace—then I’d probably find it amusing, too.

“If you two are trying to keep it a secret, then you probably shouldn’t be kissing in public, especially not in the middle of town,” Jones joked, a smug smile on his lips at knowing he’d won the previous argument.

He knew, and the rumor mills hadn’t said a peep about Clay and me besides what happened at the fair.

“You didn’t tell anyone?” I whispered. I felt guilty about asking this again, especially when he was being all supportive and shit about this. But being found out had been my fear since the day I learned my lao-ba was dating Clay’s mom.

I must have looked extra pitiful because Jones didn’t take offense this time.

He sounded sympathetic as he said, “No, not even Ryan. I know you guys like to joke about me being a big gossip, but I know how to keep my mouth shut when it matters. And I figured if you and Clay wanted to keep the fact that you’re dating from your best friends, then you probably wanted to keep it a secret.

Gossip is fun and all, but secrets I don’t mess around with, and this is your secret to share when you’re ready. ”

I couldn’t help the laugh that rumbled out of me. “I feel even more shitty now. You’re fucking amazing, you know that?”

Jones chuckled, his usual lightness back in his tone. “I know I am,” he said with a wink. “And don’t feel too bad. I know you’re probably dealing with a lot, but I hope you know that none of us will care about you and Clay dating. We just want you guys to be happy.”

I nibbled on my bottom lip. I wished it were that easy.

“But you two did keep it under wraps pretty good. I didn’t even know Clay was into men. How long have you been dating? Did you go out with all those people as a smokescreen?” Jones asked the questions one after another.

“He’s not into men, and we’re not dating,” I replied softly.

He looked confused by my answer. “But you guys kissed—”

“He’s just comforting me,” I quickly told him. I should be telling myself that and stop getting my hopes up, just because Clay was indulging me.

“But—” Jones swallowed whatever words he was about to say when he took a really good look at me. Could he see what a mess I was? He settled with saying, “You like him.”

“I love him,” I admitted out loud for the first time, and the world didn’t come crashing down around me. “I love him so much I can’t think straight.”

Frederick knew I had a crush on Clay, but I didn’t dare tell him just how deep my feelings ran. It was like if I didn’t admit it, then it didn’t have to be such a big deal.

Before I knew it, Jones’ arms were around me.

“It’s okay,” he said. I knew they were only words of comfort, since nothing felt okay, but I let myself believe in that moment. I settled into the embrace of one of my oldest friends.

“It’s okay.”

He kept whispering as he stroked my back comfortingly. Maybe if he said it enough times, it’d actually be true.

“What are you guys doing?” Clay’s voice came from the now-open bedroom door.

My head shot up from Jones’ shoulder to look at him. I tried to pull away, but Jones’ arm only tightened around me.

Clay’s lips turned even more downward. Jones softly chuckled and whispered in my ear, “He has feelings for you, too.”

Jones might as well punch me straight in the gut with how hard those words hit. What the fuck did he mean by that?

Before I could even wrap my mind around his words, Clay had crossed the distance and grabbed my hand.

“Let’s go,” he all but growled as he grabbed my wrist. Jones released me easily this time. There was a smirk on his face as he watched Clay drag me away.

“Wait, Clay—” I tried to get him to stop, but he was immovable when he was determined. Our friends watched with apprehension as Clay pulled me through the living room and out the front door.

“Clay, stop!” I yelled when we reached my minivan. I finally managed to wrench his hand off my wrist. I rubbed it, feeling sore from his handling.

He saw the red mark that was left behind from his tight grip, and his anger immediately turned into concern.

“Shit, sorry. Are you okay?” he asked. He grabbed my arm again, more gently this time, and took over rubbing my wrist for me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I’m fine,” I muttered absentmindedly. I was still trying to make sense of Jones’ words.

He has feelings for you, too.

Unless the English language had somehow changed without me realizing it, there was only one way I could interpret that.

Was Jones trying to say that Clay felt the same way I did? That he liked me as more than just his stepbrother or his best friend? Surely not…Clay didn’t even like men.

Clay watched me with gentle eyes, the same way he always did. I always thought he liked watching me because he liked knowing what I was up to, but could there have been something more to it?

“Let’s go home,” Clay said softly.

I didn’t resist as he opened the passenger side and helped me inside. I looked back at the cabin and was surprised to realize that none of our nosy friends had come to question us. I wondered if Jones stopped them.

Clay went around my minivan and hopped into the driver’s seat while I shot a quick message into our group chat, apologizing for leaving so abruptly.

Jones was the first to reply, telling us not to worry about it. The others quickly followed with the same sentiments.

Our friends might give us shit, but they really were some of the best people I knew.

“What did Jones say?” Clay asked, eyes focused on the road in front of him.

“He told us not to worry about leaving so abruptly,” I repeated.

“Not that.” I could see him glance at me out of the corner of his eye. “What did he tell you inside the room?”

Well, that answered the question of whether Clay had heard.

Maybe this was for the best. No good could come from poking the hornet’s nest.

“It’s noth—”

My words turned into a yelp as the minivan came to a sudden stop at the side of the road. Thank god I had my seat belt on.

“What the fuck, Clay! Are you trying to get us killed?” I glared at him.

Clay shifted the gear into Park, released his seat belt, and turned to loom over me.

“What did he say to you?” he asked again through gritted teeth.

“None of your business,” I replied with a huff. I pushed him back into his seat. “Why are you acting like you’re jealous?”

He leaned back over to my side. “Because I am!”

The words rang inside the minivan, as did his labored breaths.

That made me look at him, and I meant really look at him.

It wasn’t the first time Clay had gotten possessive of me, but I never thought much of it. We’d been so close for so long that I kinda took it as par for the course.

I’d been so focused on my own feelings for him that I never dared think about his actions. But now, seeing him frantic like this, his eyes almost red from his craze, and Jones’ words echoing in my ears, I wondered if I’d really been so blind all this time.

“He told me you had feelings for me, too,” I said, thinking maybe there was some truth in those words after all.