“I can’t explain everything right now. I’m still sorting some things out, but I was wrong to exclude you. Please, on our love, I beg you, Samone, to let me have the time I need before telling you.”

I’m sure, the look on my face told him I was way more than a little reluctant.

“Please, just one more chance. It’s all I ask, and I know I don’t deserve it, but I love you so much. It hurt every day—every damn minute we were apart—it hurt my heart. I promise to never hurt you again, that I will explain everything as soon as I can. If you’ll let me, if you can try to understand what I am going through, I’ll spend every waking minute showing you how sorry I am.”

I knew I didn’t owe him anything, but my heart longed for an explanation, and a part of me did still love him, just not the way he hoped for. They say your first love always stays in a special place in your heart. Thoughts of Emmett standing in his doorway as I drove away crossed my mind again, and I felt a different kind of pain. Alec must have mistook my sad expression for an answer because he started to get up to leave.

“It’s okay, I see I went too far. I knew it. I’ve lost you,” he said.

I reached across the table and grabbed his hand. “No, Alec, it’s not that. Look, I’ve something important to tell you.”

He looked puzzled. “Okay. What is it?”

“Now, please, don’t react. Just listen until I’m done.”

He motioned for me to continue.

“After the party and you . . . you know, put on your cruel show—”

“Samone, I said I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say, but I’ll say it forever if I have to.”

“No. Just listen. Please don’t interrupt. After the party at Peter’s house, I went to Auburn to spend some time with the girls. They took me to their boyfriends’ frat party, and I met someone, and we’ve been together ever since. Practically live together really.” I took a deep breath as Alec stared intently at me. “His name is Emmett, Alec—Emmett Walker.”

He flinched and yanked his hand away.

“Wait, please. I didn’t know that he was your brother. He didn’t know who I was until you called my cell and your picture popped up on the screen. Your actions crushed me so badly, I could never speak of you. But you need to understand, I’m with Emmett now. We can try to be friends, Alec, but don’t make me wait forever for an explanation. I’m willing to forgive, but I need to know why you did and said the things you did in order to do that.”

His expression transformed from devastation to resignation, as he seemed to accept all I was willing to offer him.

“Okay. Thank you, Samone. You won’t regret it. I promise,” he said.

With all the difficult parts now out in the open, we each ordered a bagel and talked of easier things, like our plans for the upcoming spring semester of college.

It felt remarkably easy to talk to him again. He even mentioned he wanted us to go to our old park where we’d spent so much time under the old oak tree. He said we would talk about everything, and he would answer all my questions. Although it had been a special place for us, I felt it may be easier for him there to talk about whatever issues he had. It was a familiar place where we had shared many deep conversations. We bared our souls beneath the leaves of that tree. I agreed to go, as friends. I just hoped that Emmett would understand.

“I’m not moving back here. I’m staying in Auburn. I like the university there, and Emmett and I have a good thing between us.”

The look of pain that crossed his face was hard to witness, but I forced myself to sit there. He’d caused me more pain than he would ever feel. Truthfully, a small part of me savored the justice of it all. In that fleeting moment, I felt like the villain in our sorted tale.

I needed to decide what I was going to do. I wasn’t sure about leaving Atlanta and going back to Auburn just yet. A part of me felt like I needed to stick around for a while. Thankfully, we were on break between fall and spring semesters. I could feel that Alec needed me. My mind grated at why I should even care after what he’d done to me. But something was really wrong, whatever this mystery problem of his was being the pivotal factor in the equation.

But the other part of me was pulled back to Emmett. I loved him and longed for the feel of him holding me in his arms. I missed his smile. But a piece of my heart died a little each time I thought of his expression as he stood in the doorway of his room, watching me pack to come back here. The resigned tone of his voice, as the realization struck him that I’d be seeing Alec.

I retrieved my cell and checked my recent calls list. Emmett’s name was usually at the top, but now it was five contacts down. I looked at the date of our last call. It was three days ago. Tapping his name, my head hung in shame. I should have called him earlier.

The phone rang and rang. Just as I thought it would go to voicemail, he answered.

“Peach.”

“Hi Emmett.”

Silence filled my ears.

“I’m sorry I haven’t called. I, umm, got so wrapped up in things here.”

“It’s okay, though a text message would’ve been nice, if nothing else, to know that you made the drive safely,” he snapped.

“I know. I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry. I love you.”

“Ahh damn it. I love you too, Peach. I didn’t mean to be an ass. I just worry, you know. This whole thing sucks.”

“Yeah. It does,” I answered.

“So, have you seen him?” he asked in a strained voice.

“Yes,” I whispered. “We met for breakfast the morning after I got back here.”

“I see.”

“Emmett, something is really wrong. I just don’t know what it is. He still won’t tell me why he broke up with me.”

“Or why he acted like the biggest douche on the planet?” he seethed.

I gasped.

“Yeah, I know about what happened at that party, Peach. I called the girls after you left, and they told me what he did, and how he hurt you. I really get it now, why you never talked about it before. I just can’t believe my little brother pulled some asshat shit like that on the girl he supposedly loved. And for fuck’s sake, I’m still pissed-off that your ex is my brother!”

I couldn’t talk. I just listened as he ranted on.

“I’m sorry, Peach. It’s just hard to deal with all this.”

“I know,” I whispered. “It’s okay.”

“It’ll be okay when you come home to me. When are you leaving Atlanta?”

“Umm, about that . . .”

“Oh, hell no! Don’t you dare say you’re not coming home! I’ll drive down there and throw your ass over my shoulder and walk back to fucking Auburn if I have to!”

“Emmett, please, listen to me for a minute. There really is something wrong here. Alec has some big secret he won’t tell me about yet. I have a really bad feeling. I think I need to stay here for a while and at least make sure he’s okay.”

He didn’t say anything. I could hear him breathing. His silence was deafening.

“Emmett?”

“Peach, I don’t know what to say. On one hand, I’m seriously pissed-off and shocked and hurt and pissed-off some more. But, on the other hand, you’re freaking me out with all of this ‘something’s really wrong, big secret of his’ shit, and I’m really worried about my brother. This whole thing is a cluterfuck. We’re all gonna need to see a shrink after this is all said and done.”

“I want to come home, babe, I really do, but I just can’t yet. I have to be sure he’s okay, and I’m not. The way he loved me . . .”

Emmett’s sharp intake of breath startled me, but I continued.

“ . . . there has to be something God-awful for him to have hurt me the way he did. I’m scared of what it could be. I’m really afraid for him. I need to stay for a bit. I’ll come home to you, I promise.”