BooksBarbecue
Back Sweetest Secret
Chapters (35)
  1. Sweetest Secret
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. Emily
  14. 11
  15. Chase
  16. 12
  17. Emily
  18. 13
  19. Chase
  20. 14
  21. Emily
  22. 15
  23. Chase
  24. 16
  25. Emily
  26. 17
  27. Chase
  28. Epilogue
  29. Emily
  30. Full Page Image
  31. Their Snowy Night
  32. Chapter 1
  33. Saint
  34. About the Author
  35. Also by Lucy Darling

“I do. I know her SAT scores, the way she takes her coffee. That she has a special pair of socks she wears when she plays volleyball. I know how many of those games they won and how many points she scored. I know more than I think you want me to.” Tomas leans back in his chair, and I know I’ve really shown more of my cards than maybe I should have. I could go on for days about the things I know about Emily. Even more so after last night.

“You sound in love.” Grace smiles over at me.

“I’ve always loved Emily in some way. Been protective over her. It just changed over this last year a lot. I didn’t understand it fully till this last year when I realized she was about to take the next step in her life, and it scared the hell out of me that I wouldn’t be a part of whatever that was. That she might be leaving.”

“She will be turning the page soon. I’m just not sure where her story is going,” Tomas says with a long sigh.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, honey.” Grace walks around the desk to sit in Tomas’s lap. “I’m not sure what Molly has planned, either.”

“She—” Asher tries to speak, but Grace holds her hand up to stop him.

“Even before you showed up, Asher. She’s been a bit lost.”

“It’s because she feels like she doesn’t belong,” Asher says. “And she doesn’t. She’s so much better than everyone in our world.”

“That she is,” Tomas agrees. Grace leans in and kisses Tomas on his cheek. For the first time today, I actually see a partial smile pull at Asher’s mouth. He’s getting it. His father’s in love. This is what he wanted. For his family to be happy.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell them that Emily pretends to fit in. Everything she does is because she thinks it’s what is expected of her. Whatever will cause the least amount of waves and make people proud of her. There is a lingering fear that everyone looks at her as if she’s her mother. It’s shitty, but some do, but Asher doesn’t get that because this world is full of fucked-up double standards.

I see it, though. When it comes to Emily, I see everything.

16

Emily