Page 35 of The Boy Next Door

Once, I scanned the neighborhood for Hunter, zooming inside and out in order to avoid him. Now I hope to see a flash of blond hair and never do. He's probably the one dodging me. His car is almost always gone, even at night, still absent when I go to bed.

Completely by accident do I see him one morning before school. Not much time has passed, but it feels like forever.

"Hey," I greet cautiously, half expecting a blow up.

Dressed for an early shift at work, he keeps walking. Okay, the silent treatment is even worse than a messy reaction.

"You're not talking to me?" I ask his back. "You have to eventually."

He doesn't even slow down.

"You can't stay mad forever." Hopefully.

Hunter opens his car door.

"I'm sorry. I'll just keep apologizing and reaching out until you listen. Until you respond."

Finally, he looks at me. Glares, rather. He flips me off, gets in the car, and drives away.

Not exactly the response I had in mind.

Dylan finds me while I'm still staring off after his brother.

"Officially," he announces, "you're dead to me."

I wince. "That bad?"

"No idea. He won't really say. Did you do something, should I kill you?"

Ugh. Dylan's hair appears strange in the mostly dark morning. His blond roots show, almost glowing against the darker color.

With a deep breath, I tell him the truth.

"Hunter found out the note I left in the pond was meant for you."

He nods, not surprised, though does mention, "I was dating Renee then."

"And I was dating Hunter when you confessed to me."

"...Touché."

"We all make mistakes," I reassure. "And I'm not sure I can recover from mine."

Dyl pats me on the shoulder. "Don't give up, he's a stubborn bastard."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." He makes a face. "Seriously, because—"

"Right, dead to you."

While not enough to totally raise my spirits, the moment between us is companionable. Nice. Right next to me in the space he's always been, Dylan's finally where he belongs. He's a friend.

Dylan turns sheepish. "Sorry if I complicated things. I probably never should have confessed, huh?"

"I could say the same thing.” Even though the note brought me something great.

“I never should have written the note when I did and then I never should have kept the truth about it secret.

I thought knowing would hurt Hunter too much.

" Which now sounds like a weak excuse. "I was probably only protecting myself, not him.

Figuring it out on his own must have been terrible. "

"You think that's what happened?"

"What else?"

"Maybe he found out the same way I found out you had a crush on me.

" Uh, what? Putting something together, Dylan keeps talking, not aware we aren't on the same page.

"I think that's part of why I had a crush on you.

He made it sound so sweet and romantic, when really, you should have just asked me out on a date ages ago and we'd be done with it by now. "

I blink, not able to touch that judgement right now. “He? He who?”

"Your friend," Dylan informs me. "Clay told me your secret."

~

Disbelief. Anger. Shock. Disbelief again. The emotions roll over me, until numbness sets in, I think it's over, then they start again. Only on time for school because Dylan drives me, I'm too lost in my own head to pay attention to the road.

Dylan is honest and has no reason to lie. I believe him. Only... Clay? Clay told Dylan about my crush. Clay told Hunter who the note was really meant for. Clay. My friend Clay.

Arriving on time doesn't mean I'm in any condition to attend my first class, so I head to the art room, hoping for a free space to clear my head.

Clay's there, working on a small project for Wilhelmina French’s class due today. His dark blue beanie matches his navy scarf. He never takes the scarf off indoors in the warmth because he thinks he's attractive wearing it. Do I know him well, or is he a stranger?

Clay doesn't look up from his project when I stand next to him.

"Hey," he greets. "Maggie and I were thinking of going for burgers later."

"Not interested."

"Yes, it's kinda sneaking out. But if you don't go, who are you gonna eat with?"

Now or never...

"Did you tell Hunter the note was meant for Dylan?"

He looks up, startled. "Wha-where did you get that idea?"

"Answer the question," I demand.

Clay sets his paintbrush down, turning to face me. "Samuel—"

"Tell me the truth."

"...Yeah."

I laugh, the sound hollow. Confirmation, yet strangely, it doesn't feel more real. I stare at his painting, shades of yellow and gold, not fitting my mood at all.

"Hey, I did you a favor," Clay blatantly lies. "You swore to me you weren't really interested in Hunter, and there you are, day after day, still trapped in this relationship."

Oh, maybe it's not a total lie from his perspective? In some twisted way.

Still, "That doesn't give you the right—"

"What was your plan, keep playing along? If you weren't careful, you'd end up marrying the guy." With a frustrated noise, he paces the room instead of looking at me. "It wasn't fair... how a guy who I doubt even knows what to do with his own private parts, let alone someone else's—"

"Hey!"

"—yet you attract the attention of the hottest guy in the whole state, and you barely even do anything with him. Such a waste. I was gonna just wait my turn, but he never lost interest in you."

His motivations, while possibly helping me 'escape' a relationship I never asked for, weren't really about me. Clay betrayed me because of Hunter? Because he wanted Hunter?

"You were jealous?" I translate.

"No!" Clay yells, his feet finally stopping as he fidgets unsurely. "It's simple math. You had two guys, why not share one?"

Whether barely able to believe this development or barely able to stay in the same room as him, I start toward the door.

"We were both going to win!" he insists. "You take the nice guy and I'll take the naughty one."

Wheeling around to glare at him, I snarl, "Stay away from Hunter."

"Don't worry, he didn't seem very grateful." Clay smirks. "Then again, he probably hates you more than me."

How strange. Because I'm starting to hate the guy I once called a friend.