“Deal.”

  “Can you also promise that you won’t make me wait outside anymore, just because you’re talking to girls on the phone?” she asked. “I can put on your headphones and listen to music until you’re finished. I promise I won’t interrupt or make fun of you when you try to make your voice sound deeper.”

  “Yeah.” I smiled. “I can promise you that. Can you promise me something?”

  “Of course. What is it?”

  “Can we keep this thing between us?” I said. “I mean, can you not tell Jonathan that I won’t be going to Notre Dame? I don’t want him to know.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t want him to think that everything for people like us is ultimately hopeless,” I said. “I want him to keep thinking he can do anything, and to keep those promises he made to you.”

  “Okay, promise.” She extended her pinky to me, and I twisted mine over it. Then she handed me the blue gift box she’d brought over. “It was supposed to be your going-away present, but I think you should open it anyway.”

  I pulled the ribbon off the box and took off the top. Inside, was a short letter and something that was wrapped in newspaper.

  DEAR COREY,

  Even though you’re Jonathan’s friend/foster brother, I really enjoyed hanging out with you this summer, and even though I’m super jealous that you’re leaving me alone in Ohio, I’m happy that you’re getting out and going to college.

  While you’re gone, I’ll be sure to keep your room clean (You better keep the window unlocked from the inside for me.), and I promise to write you a new letter every week!

  Your favorite “Chum” (“Chum” is officially my favorite word since I’ve beat you in Scrabble with it twice in a row now.)

  Hayley

  PS—Please promise you’ll write me back when I send you letters. My mom never responds to the ones I send to her prison, so it would be nice to receive mail in return for a change.

  PS—Also promise that you’ll place this gift on your desk so you won’t ever forget to write me back!

  SMILING, I SET HER letter to the side and unwrapped the gift. It was a picture frame, and inside she’d placed a black and white picture we’d taken weeks ago. We were both throwing up our middle fingers and tossing our heads back mid-laugh, right in front of a road sign that read, “Welcome to the Best City in the World!”

  “Thank you so much, Hayley.” I walked over and placed the frame on my current desk. “I would’ve definitely written you back every week.”

  LATER THAT NIGHT, WE lay in silence on separate beds, and I made sure to keep my face buried in my pillow.

  “Corey?” Hayley tapped my shoulder, making me roll over. “Corey, are you crying?”

  “No.” I wiped my eyes. “I’m not crying at all.”

  “Okay.” She sniffled, then she lay right next to me. “I’m not crying either.”

  Part Two

  Can You Keep a Secret?

  HAYLEY: TODAY

  (Present Day)

  San Francisco, California

  COREY STARED AT ME from the other side of the couch, hours after he told his team members they could go home. We’d eaten our dinner in silence, just like all the nights before, and I was beginning to wonder if he was rethinking letting me walk out on him.

  Not wanting to start the conversation, I picked at the seam of my jeans.

  “Hayley?” he called my name, his voice deep.

  “Yes?”

  “Look at me.”

  I looked up, and he moved closer to me on the couch. He cupped my face in his hands and looked into my eyes.

  “I’m sorry.” He kissed my lips, softly trailing his tongue against the edge of my mouth. “Very sorry.”

  “For what?” I wasn’t letting him get off easy, panty-wetting kisses or not.

  He smiled. “For the way I’ve treated you over the past few weeks.”

  “And for the ridiculous rules you set when I got here?”

  “Yes.”

  “And for—”

  He kissed me again before I could finish. “I’m sorry for everything, Hayley. Fucking everything. I also think we should start over.”

  “As friends?”

  “No.” He smirked. “I think we both know that at this point, there’s no reason for us to attempt to be just friends.”

  My heart fluttered against my chest. “You want to date me?”

  “We can call it that for now, but given our history, I think I know you too well to simply ‘date’ you, Hayley.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “I mean, of course I would like to know the new you better, but I think we should try to pick up where we left off before. Well, where we would’ve left off if you hadn’t stopped talking to me. Nonetheless, I think you’re still the same friend I had before.”

  “Are you the same friend I had before?”

  “I am,” he said, his eyes meeting mine. “I just like a few different things.”

  “Like rough sex?”

  “Yes.” He bit my bottom lip briefly and let it go. “Like rough sex. But I told you before, I won’t be rough with you, at first.” He let out a breath and paused. “I want you to be mine, despite the obvious conflict of interest.”

  “You really think Jonathan would be upset about you dating me?”

  “I think he would murder me if he found out I was dating you,” he said. “And then he would be upset that I drove him to do it in the first place.”

  “That doesn’t sound like my brother.”

  “Then you don’t know your brother.” He looked dead-ass serious. “Trust me. He’s a psycho when it comes to the women in his life.”

  “So, we keep this—whatever this will be, a secret forever?”

  “No,” he said, pulling me into his lap. “We tell him after his wedding when he’s less liable to be upset. And ‘this’ means you being mine and vice versa. Or, as you would say, boyfriend and girlfriend.”

  “Are there any rules for that?”

  “Only three.” He rubbed his hand against my back. “And they’re non-negotiable.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Rule number one, you belong to me and not anyone else.” He slid his hand under my shirt and unclasped my bra. “You trust me, I trust you, and we don’t keep secrets from each other.”

  “Number two?”

  “You don’t let me treat you any kind of way again, and we keep this as discreet as possible until we’re both ready to tell your brother.”

  “That’s two rules.”

  “I’m counting them as one.”

  I sucked in a breath as he pinched my nipples. “And three?”

  “Number three,” he said, sliding his hand into my jeans and tapping his fingers against my pussy. “You only give this to me.”

  I didn’t get a chance to agree. He kissed my lips and pushed me off of his lap, positioning my back against the couch cushions.

  I stared at him as he moved between my legs and pulled my pants down to my ankles.

  Tilting my body up, he draped my legs over his shoulder in one smooth motion. He tore my lace panties off in a flat second and tossed them across the room. Without saying a word, he pressed his mouth against my pussy and began kissing my lower lips in the same sensuous way he kissed my mouth.

  Not giving me a chance to adjust, he swirled his tongue around my clit in slow circles.

  “Ahh...” I shut my eyes as he slid his tongue a little deeper. “Corey...”

  “Do you want me to stop?” He blew on my clit. “I will.”

  “No...” I shook my head. “No.”

  He trailed slow kisses against my inner thighs, gripping my legs a little tighter each time I made a sound.

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  He didn’t give me a chance to answer. He buried his face in my pussy again—rendering me completely useless. He darted his tongue against my clit in a slow, deliberate rhythm—sucking it in and out of his mouth.

  I writhed against the cushions and pulled his hair, but he didn’t stop. Didn’t lose pace.

  My phone sounded on the coffee table, and his sounded in his pocket seconds later, but neither of us made a move to answer.

  He groaned as he tasted me, whispering, “Your pussy tastes so damn good...”

  I squeezed my thighs against his head as he caressed my nipples with his free hand, adding to the pleasure. I felt myself nearing the edge as my body began to shake, so I tried to push him away.

  “I don’t think so.” He didn’t budge. “Come on my face, Hayley...”

  “Ahh...” I couldn’t hold back anymore. Ahhh. Corey...”

  “Come on my face,” he repeated, still keeping my legs locked in his grip—still fucking me with his mouth.

  I couldn’t hold on any longer. I screamed his name as my body shook wildly, as he continued kissing me recklessly with no regard for my orgasm.

  When my shaking finally slowed, he moved my legs from his shoulders and stood up from the couch.

  I opened my eyes and saw him walking toward his bedroom.

  Unable to sit up, I leaned over and grabbed my phone from the coffee table. There was one missed call.

  Jonathan?

  Corey returned to the living room with a couple of warm cloths and sat next to me. Gently spreading my legs apart, he kept his eyes on mine as he cleaned me up.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  I nodded and slowly sat up, but he pushed me back down.

  “I’m not finished with you.” He smirked.

  “What?”

  “You heard me.” He glanced at my exposed pussy again. “I’m not done with you yet.” He spread my legs again, but the doorbell rang before he could continue.

  “You’re holding another meeting tonight?” I asked.

  “No.” He sighed and stood to his feet. “One of the team members probably left something again.” He helped me pull my jeans up to my waist before walking away from me.

  “Jonathan?” He sounded surprised as he opened the door. “What are you doing here?”

  “I need a reason?” He walked right into the house, and I fastened the button on my jeans. Then I placed a pillow over the new, wet spot on the couch.

  “I called you both, but you didn’t pick up,” Jonathan said. “So, I figured your service lines were busy or something.”

  “Yes, busy.” Corey shut the door and followed him into the living room.

  “Hey, Hayley.” Jonathan smiled at me. “Are you sleeping any better these days?”

  “Yes. A lot better.”

  “Good.” He took a seat and let out a breath. “I’ve been so pre-occupied with the wedding, that I realized I haven’t hung out with the two other closest people in my life. Outside of when I see you at work, that is. Do you mind if I stay for dinner?”

  “Translation: You and Claire are fighting about something stupid right now, and you stopped by because my house is closest to wherever she currently is?” Corey crossed his arms.

  My brother smiled. “I prefer the term arguing, not fighting.”

  Corey laughed. “I figured.”

  “She’s being very difficult about this fucking wedding,” he said. “I just want to get married.”

  “And she just wants it to be perfect.” I stood up. “I was going to make grilled chicken bagels and salad tonight. Is that good enough for you?”

  “Grilled chicken bagels?” he asked. “You know Corey is a master at cooking real food, right?”

  I looked at Corey in surprise. “No, I didn’t. Are you saying I can’t cook real food?”

  “I’m saying you should let him teach you how to make the type of things that weren’t served in your coffee and wine bar,” he said. “I learned quite a few things from him after he hacked into a chef’s master course.”

  “You’re just saying I can’t cook.”

  “I would never.” His phone sounded in his pocket, and he stood to his feet. “Do you mind if I take this out on your terrace, Corey? It’s Claire.”

  “Not a problem. It’s unlocked.”

  He walked toward the windows, and Corey immediately rushed over to the chair where he’d been sitting. He picked up what was left of my tattered panties and put them into his pocket.

  “Do you think he saw those?” I asked, my face crimson red.

  “I highly doubt it.” He motioned for me to follow him into the kitchen. “Let me show you how to cook.”

  “I know how to cook, Corey.”

  “Not better than me.”

  AN HOUR LATER, I SET down a second plate of steamed lobster and scallops, and I had to admit that Corey could cook circles around me without even trying. I also had to admit that he was completely right about not telling my brother shit about us.

  “Since your friend isn’t coming to San Fran anytime soon, how much longer do you plan on letting your brand-new house sit untouched?” Jonathan asked, setting a napkin in his lap.

  “I was going to move in soon.”

  “Soon?” He raised his eyebrow. “If you’re sleeping well again with the medicine, why not just move in this month?”

  “I guess I was waiting to get a car, so I could move around on my own.”

  “Oh, right.” He pulled out his phone and tapped a key, holding it up to his ear. “Francis? My little sister is going to stop by your dealership at some point this month. Let her get whatever she wants.” He ended the call, and just like that, I knew my nights here with Corey were going to be few and far between.

  “Thank you, Jonathan.”

  “Always.” He picked up a fork, and Corey placed his hand on my thigh under the table. “So, Corey. Do you have a date for the wedding yet? I know you have tons of women in your past to choose from.”

  Corey coughed and strummed his fingers against me. “I don’t have a date yet.”

  “Well, I’m sure you’ll find someone soon. What about you, Hayley?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Well, be forewarned—” He sipped his wine. “Don’t pick just anyone since Claire is insisting on taking a separate set of pictures for the bridal party and their guests. Plus, I’m going to have the guy’s background checked out by Corey, so make sure he’s a decent guy.”

  “Define decent guy.” Corey’s strumming stopped.

  “A decent guy?” Jonathan tilted his head to the side, then he smiled. “Any guy who is the opposite of you.”

  My heart sank, and Corey downed the rest of his wine in one gulp.

  “I hate to leave before finishing dinner,” Jonathan said, looking at his phone. “But, it’s—”

  “Claire.” Corey and I said in unison.

  “Exactly.” He stood up from the table and kissed my forehead. “I’ll see you around at work.”

  I looked down at my plate as he left, as Corey walked him to the front door.

  “Hey.” Corey tilted my chin up when he returned. “What’s wrong?”

  “I think he really would kill you.”

  He smiled and helped me out of my chair. “He would.”

  “So, you’re not backing away?”

  “No.” He kissed me. “We’ll be discreet, and it’s not like this is the first secret we’ve ever kept from him.”

  “Our childhood secrets don’t count.”

  “They definitely do count,” he said, leading me to his bedroom. “But now that he’s gone, I would like to finish what I started on the couch if that’s okay with you.”

  “It’s more than okay.”

  HAYLEY: YESTERDAY

  (The Past)

  Cambridge, Massachusetts

  I DIDN’T HAVE A SMOOTH transition out of foster care, not that I was complaining. One moment I was sitting in the middle of the living room while my foster parents yelled at me about not doing my fair share, and the next I was on a plane to spend the remainder of my high school years with Jonathan.

  He hugged me tightly when he saw me at the airport, apologized for “taking so long,” but I told him that was unnecessary. He’d kept his promise, and that was all that mattered.

  Within weeks, he enrolled me in high school and helped me shop for all the things I needed for my new life in Cambridge. Done with Harvard, he was creating a new computer with his former professor, and Corey had moved in with him as well.

  We didn’t talk as much as we once did, since he and my brother were always holed up in the living room—working all hours of the night, but I still considered him to be my friend.

  “I need your help.” I paced his bedroom floor as he stared at his computer screen. “It’s an emergency.”

  I waited for him to look up at me, but he never did. He continued staring at the codes on the screen, not paying me any attention.

  “Corey,” I said, my voice firm. “I said it’s an emergency.”

  “It better be.” He spun around in his chair and glared at me. “What is it?”

  “I got invited to the senior prom. I’m probably one of the only sophomores that’ll be there.”

  He gave me a blank stare.

  “Senior prom. Me. This is serious.”

  “Could you kindly pick up that dictionary to your right and look up the word, emergency?” He rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe you interrupted my coding session for that.”

  “What if he expects a kiss from me at the end of the night?

  Another blank stare. Then a long sigh.

  “He probably will expect a kiss, Hales,” he said. “So, surprise. You’ll just kiss him.”

  “I don’t know how.” The words rushed out of my mouth before I could think them through.

  “What do you mean?” He crossed his arms.

  “Kissing,” I said. “I’ve never kissed anyone, so I’ll probably make a fool out of myself.”

  “Probably, but everyone has to learn some way or another.” He shrugged. “Is that all? Or do you need me to help you pick out a dress, too?”

  “You know,” I said, shaking my head, “I’m well aware that you’re busy trying to hack systems and get into all types of super important stuff, but could you pretend to be my friend for like five minutes? I promise I’ll leave you alone after that and I won’t bother you for the rest of the month.”