Page 103 of The Bad Girl

“They said they’d keep it a secret if I vandalized the other team’s bus. They were at a local Subway.”

“And you did.”

“Yep, all while they filmed it.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“School was mad. My classmates were mad. My father was mad. Colleges were mad. Everyone was mad. There went my scholarships.”

“You told no one?”

Tom exhales a shaky breath. “In the midst of my dad screaming at me and threatening to throw me out, I confessed to him what had happened, figuring maybe he’d know what to do.”

“What happened?”

“His face went white and pale, and he said to me, ‘Don’t you ever tell that to no one, and don’t you ever bring a boy around our house. This stays here. You did the right thing,’ and then he left.”

I grab my stomach as it threatens to overturn. “What?”

“I took classes at a community college, worked in a garage. We didn’t talk about it. Then, that night came, and you snuck into my room. I knew you liked me, that was easy to figure. I had no idea what you were planning, though.”

“It was pretty dumb.”

“It was bold, and I’m not lying when I say you are beautiful. Any other boy would have been lucky. But not me. For a minute, I considered taking you up on it. I considered seeing if it could fix me somehow.”

My hand reaches for Tom’s cheek protectively. “There’s nothing that needs to be fixed.”

“I know that now.” He smiles at me reassuringly. “I knew it wasn’t fair to do that to you, so I tried like heck to get you out of my room. I didn’t mean to alert my sister. After you left, she stayed, and she kept asking what the heck was going on. My parents were listening, told her to go to bed, but my father stayed. He said, ‘Couldn’t you have at least tried? See if maybe you liked it just a little?’ At that moment, I knew I couldn’t live there anymore.”

“I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t be! After I left, I found my people. I’ve never really lived out and proud, but all my good friends know, and I’ve had a couple of good relationships. I built and grew my business, and I’m ready to open one up here, close to home.”

“That’s great.” I furrow my brow. “Wait, you said your sister wanted you to be in the wedding despite everything. Does that mean she—”

“No! She had no part in my father’s actions. My mother’s clueless as well. Allison just thought I abandoned everyone. We had a heart-to-heart, and I confessed everything to her. She was nothing but supportive. She even said she was going to disinvite my father, but I told her not to.”

“That is why you asked me to the wedding. So you wouldn’t cause any issues for your sister.”

“She was against it, but I figured it couldn’t do any harm. You’re a successful businesswoman working in powerful circles. I figured there was no way you’d ever want anything to do with me, and saying yes to going to the wedding with me would be your way of rubbing your success in my face.”

“Did you really think that low of me?”

“Sometimes, when you want something desperately, you believe the lies you tell yourself.”

Tom eyes me up and down. “Ya know, you really are beautiful. If there was ever a woman that could turn me, it’d be you.”

I give him a light, sisterly punch to the shoulder. “Oh, shut up with your fake flattery.”

I settle into Tom’s nook with a newfound sense of security.

I grab the remote, turning on the television. “You know, there’s this show called Beefy Bohemians, a friend introduced me to…”

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Maxwell

“She brought him back to her apartment,” Harry says in a tone devoid of emotion.