I moved toward him, ready to fight, not caring how it would end.

“Please, Lincoln. If you care about her . . . just go.” Jackie’s tone, begging and defeated, stopped me cold.

Not now. Not like this. I raised my hands in front of me like I was giving up, but that’s one thing I’d never do when it came to Whitney.

“I’ll go, but I’ll keep coming back until I finally get to see her. Talk to her. Apologize to her. I owe her that much.”

From the expressions on their faces—rage and sadness—I knew they’d never let it happen.

That just meant I’d have to find another way.

Seventeen

Whitney

They thought I couldn’t hear them, but the yelling outside was impossible to drown out, even with my humming.

I sneaked to the windows in the living room but stayed pressed against the wall beside the panes. I couldn’t let Lincoln see me, because I knew if I went outside, they’d tear me apart like jackals.

I couldn’t handle seeing him with an audience. What we’d had wasn’t for public consumption, even if he thought it should be.

We were better off as a secret. Something that was just ours and no one else’s.

As I listened to them argue, I realized how naive he and I had been, thinking that anyone would accept us. Maybe in a world where no one knew our names, but here in Gable? We’d been cursed from the start.

I finally heard a car door slam, and my heart was so torn as to what to think or feel in that moment, I barely reacted in time to run back to the kitchen before they stomped into the house.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me he was here before?” Ricky barked the question at Asa.

“Because I handled it. She’s my sister, asshole. I don’t need to explain myself to you.”

“She’s my girl.”

“Which means I’ll fucking kill you—in more painful ways than I’d kill him—if you ever think about cheating on her again. Do you fucking hear me?”

“It was a mistake, man. I swear. I got caught up in all the LA bullshit. It showed me what really mattered. She’s the only girl who wants me for me and not because of my song on the radio, and I didn’t realize what I had until I fucked it up. I’m going to do everything to make it right. I swear I’ll never hurt her again.”

“You’ve been my best friend for twenty fucking years, Ricky. I don’t make idle threats, so don’t make me kill you. Now, go fucking try to get her to stop crying so damn much.”

I sat back down at the kitchen table and wrote until my hand cramped.

We were destined to go down in flames

Because every sin begets a sin.

Maybe someday I’ll forget your name,

But until then . . . I never want to see you again.

The words spilled out of me, but I knew I was lying to myself. I’d never be able to move on without seeing Lincoln at least one more time.