Beau’s [POV]
“You’re a liar. All of you.”
Renee glares at me, her eyes full of tears as she confronts me at our market stand. “You said it was only for a few days, and she still doesn’t know.”
I swallow.
“What happened?” I ask softly.
“Your asshole brother gave me the death glare as I talked to her,” she spits. “She doesn’t know anything. Are you just going to keep pretending?”
“That’s not my call.” Guilt gnaws at my core as Renee’s eyes widen.
“The hell it isn’t! She’s my best friend in the entire world, and you…” she chokes on a sob. “This is torture. Just tell her.”
I shake my head again.
“You don’t love her,” she accuses.
I snarl, and customers jump back, quickly leaving the area. “What did you say?”
“You don’t love her,” Renee continues, her voice cracking. “Because if you did, you would never do what you’re doing. You would have told her that night.”
It takes a lot to make me angry. James teases me about me taking all my anger out on plants, trying to avoid confrontation.
But I’m furious.
“You have no idea the feelings I have for her. At all,” I growl.
“The only reason I haven’t told her is that she won’t believe me if you deny it!” Renee cries. Her hands shake as she looks at me, her face crestfallen. “And I miss her! I miss my friend.”
People stare at us as Renee falls apart, tears spilling down her face.
The worst part is, she’s right.
We swore her to secrecy the moment we knew Harper was here.
She wasn’t happy then, but she’s heartbroken now.
“Grey won’t even let me see her,” she sobs. “She asked me how close we were. Which means you haven’t told her anything.”
I stay.
We agreed, in the beginning, that it was for Harper’s protection. That she wouldn’t believe us even if we told her everything.
We argued, at first. I tried to convince Grey that it would be better if she knew everything sooner rather than later.
But Grey didn’t want a bomb dropped on her like that. Neither did James.
But everything is unraveling.
We can’t wait any longer.
“What did you tell her?” I ask Renee, as she wipes at her tears.
“That we were best friends,” she says. “And I mentioned the letters.”
Oh, shit.
It’s gone on far too long.
“You’re right,” I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “I’m sorry, Renee. I know you lost her, too.”
“You have to tell her the truth.”
I scoff and smile sadly. “She might run,” I say bitterly. “When she finds out everything.”
But Renee shakes her head. “Then don’t let her. Not again.”