The Secret Crush (9 page)

Brent looked around. “Actually. I was hoping I could talk to you for a few minutes. Alone. Is that okay?”

As I suspected. Ulterior motives. I glanced at the time on my phone. “I really don’t have time right now. We only have a few hours before people start showing up.”

“Five minutes. I promise. And I’ll call a few of the guys on the team and tell them to get their asses down here to help, too. That was fucked up what those kids did.”

Having a conversation with Brent was pretty much the last thing I wanted to do, but if he was going to get me more help, I couldn’t pass that up. I needed all I could get. I blew out a breath. “Okay. Sure. Five minutes. But I’m serious, I have a ton of stuff I still need to do and can’t—”

“Trust me. This’ll only take a few minutes.” He took his hands out of his pockets and swung an arm around my shoulders, leading me behind the house toward the garage.

M
Y LAST CLASS FOR THE
day finally ended, and tonight was the night. The night I revealed all to Hadley. I was a nervous wreck, but excited too. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and frowned, reading a text message I’d received from Hadley.

“Have 2 cancel. Sorry. Punks trashed the haunted house and need major clean up b4 we open 2nite.”

Holy shit! That sucked, especially for Hadley. I knew how hard she’d worked for this fundraiser and to have someone do that must have really upset her. Although, knowing her, it probably just enraged her and motivated her to make it even better than before.

I flipped through my contacts and dialed Piper, and when she didn’t answer, I called Chloe. Thankfully, she picked up right away.

“Hey. What’s up?”

“I just heard about the haunted house being trashed. What the hell happened?”

She sighed heavily. “Some high school brats, apparently. Place is a mess. I’m here now trying to help clean up, but I have no idea how we’re going to get it all done before tonight.”

“Do you need any extra hands?”

“Yes! And grab anyone else who doesn’t look busy. Seriously. It’s a Friday, and it’s Halloween, so not a whole lot of people came to clean up, ya know?”

“Yeah, I’ll see who’s around.” I pulled out my keys and headed for my truck. “Who all is there?”

She started rattling off a bunch of names, mostly just the regular crew. “That’s about it. Although, I was really surprised to see some of the people who showed up.”

A bad feeling washed over me. “Like who?”

Chloe hummed under her breath, as if she were thinking. “Well, one of the professors from the chemistry department for one.”

I blew out the breath.

“And for some odd reason, Hadley’s ex is here too.”

I halted in my tracks. “Brent? Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

Fuck! He was probably over there telling her that he was the one behind everything. I needed to stop him. Now. I hung up with Chloe and hopped in my truck, peeling out of the parking lot, praying I wasn’t too late.

B
RENT LED ME TO THE edge of the property behind the detached garage. I was more than annoyed but didn’t say anything. I needed the extra bodies he’d promised to get, and I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I had shit to do and he was already wearing on my nerves.

“Why did you bring me all the way back here, Brent?” I leaned against the siding, crossing my arms.

He stepped closer, boxing me in with his hands. “I wanted some privacy for what I’m about to tell you.”

My brows furrowed. “And what is that?”

“Hadley….I’m…” He paused, taking a deep breath. “I’m your secret admirer.”

I wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of his statement and tell him I knew he wasn’t, but he kept going before I had the chance.

“I know after everything that happened in the past you hated me, and you had every right to. But I’ve changed, Hadley. I’ve wanted to show you that, but I knew you’d never hear me out if I came out and told you. So I needed to become your secret admirer.”

“Crush,” I said flatly.

“What?”

“My secret crush. Not admirer. The person never referred to himself as an admirer.”

His pupils narrowed when he realized he’d made a mistake, but he didn’t give up. “I know. I’m just nervous, finally admitting this all to you. I’ve been nervous since…the beginning. About how you’d react.”

He grasped my hand. “I hope you know how much I still love you, Hadley. I hope everything I’ve done shows that to you.”

I couldn’t listen anymore. He’d taken up enough of my time and I had too much to do. “This has been fun, Brent, but I’m calling bullshit.”

His grip tightened on my wrist, painfully so, before he loosened it a bit. I ripped my hand away, but he blocked me from leaving. “I know this must be hard for you to believe, but this really was the only way. If I’d just come to you as myself, you never would have heard me out, let alone given me a chance. I’ve changed, Hadley. I really have. And now that you know, we can be together again. Start over with a clean slate.”

“Brent, there’s so much wrong with what you said that I don’t even know where to begin, but I’m going to try. First, I know my secret crush isn’t you. I don’t know how you found out about it in the first place, but I’m more than a hundred percent positive it’s not you. Second, I—”

“How do you know it’s not me?” Any sweetness in his tone was gone.

“Well for one, your voice is different. You’re taller than he is, too. His hands are softer, and so are his lips.”

His jaw ticked. “How the fuck do you know how soft his lips are?”

I rolled my eyes. “Because I kissed him. And trust me, there’s absolutely no comparison in the way he kisses.”

Brent punched the wall behind me, making me jump. “Fuck, Hadley. You kissed some dude you don’t even know? Fucking slut.”

I ground me teeth. “I knew everything I needed to know about him, Brent. I knew he wasn’t YOU!”

I was done listening to him. I didn’t care if no one else showed up to help. It wasn’t worth it, having to put up with this. I pushed against Brent’s chest, but he didn’t budge, so I ducked under his arm and started to walk away. Brent wrapped his arm around my waist, pushing me back against the garage wall.

“Listen to me, you little slut…oomph!”

“Don’t you fucking touch her!” someone yelled. It was the voice of my secret crush, and my heart soared.

Brent fell against me, his chest shoved in my face. I had no idea what had just happened, but suddenly his entire body weight was against me and I couldn’t hold him up. I slumped to the ground, Brent still on top of me.

“Get off me!” I tried to yell, my voice muffled. I shoved at his chest with all my might, but he wouldn’t move. I pushed my knees up and tried to roll, needing to get out from under him, when a hand found mine and pulled me free.

Finally free, I took a deep breath and looked back at Brent. He was passed out cold. I swung my head around to find out who pulled me free and what the hell had just happened.

Standing in front of me was Caleb.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“A
RE YOU HURT?” MY EYES scanned over her body, looking for any signs he even put a scratch on her. I’d fucking kill him.

“I’m okay. Really. What…how did you find me?”

“My sister said she saw Brent here, and the rest…well, the rest is a long story. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Brent stirred a bit, groaning.

“C’mon, Hadley. Let’s get out of here before he wakes up.”

I reached out my hand, relieved when she grabbed it, entwining our fingers. I led her to where I’d parked my truck. No one was around; everyone was inside the house working on repairing the damage. I lifted her into the bed and stood across from her, not really sure what to do next. This had not been my plan. My throat was suddenly very dry.

“Thank you, Caleb. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up,” Hadley started.

“Hadley, I think I should tell you . . .” I paused, trying to find the right words.

“I know you’re my secret crush, Caleb. I knew the second I heard your voice.”

My eyes widened, but I let her continue.

“I honestly should have put it together sooner. I don’t know why it took my brain so long to place it. I think I just enjoyed the mystery and the game a bit too much, and my mind wouldn’t let me see the truth.”

I swallowed hard. “This wasn’t how I was planning on telling you, Hadley.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t. I’m sure you had something extremely sweet and romantic planned, just like everything else you’ve done.” She smiled, titling her head. “But honestly, I think I’d take you saving me from that creep over any poem or flowers any day of the week.”

I chuckled, my tension easing a bit. Hadley seemed . . . happy that it was me. “Do you want to go to campus police? Report that he attacked you?”

She shook her head. “No. He didn’t lay a hand on me, really. Just being a bully, as usual. I don’t want to be alone with him any time soon, that’s for sure.”

“Had—”

“Caleb—”

I smiled. “Please. Ladies first.”

“I just wanted to say, I’m glad it’s you. I was hoping it would be, if I were honest with myself.”