BooksBarbecue
Back The Pass
Chapters (37)
  1. Cover
  2. BLURB
  3. TANNER
  4. SYDNEY
  5. TANNER
  6. SYDNEY
  7. TANNER
  8. SYDNEY
  9. TANNER
  10. SYDNEY
  11. TANNER
  12. SYDNEY
  13. TANNER
  14. SYDNEY
  15. TANNER
  16. SYDNEY
  17. TANNER
  18. SYDNEY
  19. SYDNEY
  20. TANNER
  21. SYDNEY
  22. SYDNEY
  23. TANNER
  24. SYDNEY
  25. TANNER
  26. SYDNEY
  27. SYDNEY
  28. TANNER
  29. SYDNEY
  30. TANNER
  31. EPILOGUE
  32. PLAYLIST
  33. ALSO BY REBECCA JENSHAK
  34. SECRET PUCK SNEAK PEEK
  35. BLURB
  36. CHAPTER 1
  37. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I face her prepared to tell her to go to hell, but I can’t do that. She’s Tanner’s sister, and even if I want to punch her, I won’t do anything to hurt Tanner.

“Do you really think that’s ever going to be possible with the two of you carrying on?” she asks. “No girl is ever going to accept your relationship with him. I’ve watched helplessly over the past two years while he blew it with every girl that he met.” She walks toward me. “He’d call and tell me about some new girl he was dating, and then slowly he’d ruin each one. They’d get jealous of the time he spent with you and then figure out he was cheating on them with you. And all it took was the slightest hint of conflict and Tanner was all too eager to bail. Why have a girlfriend that makes you work for it when you have a best friend that’s always around? You’ve ruined every relationship he’s had since he met you.”

Her words hurt but I try not to show it. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Maybe not, but tell me, do you really think you and Tanner would be together now if you hadn’t screwed things up with him and Amelia?” She gives me her back before I can respond, and I rush into the bedroom before the tears stinging my eyes have a chance to fall.

She’s wrong. She has no idea what she’s talking about. So why do I feel so awful?

23

TANNER

“Tara asked you to come?”

Amelia rests her clasped hands in her lap and nods tentatively. “Please don’t be mad at her for meddling. The truth is I was looking for any excuse to come.”

“I’m sorry. I’m a little thrown off here.” Understatement of the year. Why the hell would Tara call Amelia and invite her down? We broke up.

Amelia explains how Tara called and voiced her opinion that I wasn’t really over her and I was just avoiding conflict. Opinion because that’s not even close to accurate.

“So, I jumped into the car and here I am.” Her shoulders fall and she lets out a long breath.

“I do hate conflict.” I chuckle. “But the reason I didn’t call is because I realized you were right.”

Her tight smile drops into a line. “You said you were just friends?”

“We were.”

“But now you’re together?” The implication is there even if she doesn’t come right out and ask if I cheated or knowingly dated her while secretly pining for my best friend.

“I’m sorry if I ever made you doubt how much I cared about you. I did. I still do.”

“I should have called. Driving down was a little spontaneous, but I had to know for sure.”