They Read My Secret Crush Story Out Loud At The Party Chapter 06

Julian stared at him coldly. “As what, exactly?”

Blake hesitated.

Once, he would’ve said without hesitation that he was like a brother to me. Now he couldn’t seem to get

the words out.

At last, he spoke.

“I’m the one who’s been here all these years’

“So? What are you to her?” Julian gave a scornful laugh.

Before Blake could answer, he continued.

“Five years, and you’re not even together. That’s pathetic.”

He pulled the door shut, walked around Blake, and got into the driver’s seat.

Before his door closed, I saw Sloane hurry out. She caught Blake’s arm, unable to manage even a smile.

“She couldn’t have made herself any clearer. Why’d you follow her out here?”

Blake shook off her hand, his voice hoarse. “I don’t know. But I can’t just let her go.”

The door shut out the rest. Julian started the car without asking about Blake or the past five years.

He just turned up the heat, took a piece of candy from the console, and placed it in my palm.

I stared at it. “You still remember?”

“Yeah.”

I used to be sick a lot and was always taking medicine. Once Julian saw how I grimaced at the bitter

taste, he started bringing candy in his pocket whenever he came to tutor me.

I peeled off the wrapper. As the candy dissolved on my tongue, tears slipped down my face.

His knuckles slowly whitened around the steering wheel.

“Don’t cry,”

“Raina, I didn’t come back to see you cry.”

By the time we reached the hospital, a small patch of blood had seeped through the gauze on my knee

again.

The doctor removed the dressing and examined it.

“It’s opened up again. We just need to clean and dress it. Nothing serious.”

I let out a breath of relief.

Julian was still crouched in front of me, his brow tightly furrowed, as though he were the one who’d been

hurt

When the doctor picked up a cotton swab, Julian suddenly covered my eyes with his hand.

“If you can’t see it, maybe it won’t hurt so much.”

In the darkness, I caught the faint scent of lavender on his sleeve. Exactly the same as eight years ago.

Was he still using the same detergent after all this time?

Without thinking, I tightened my grip on his sleeve.

He sighed softly. A moment later, I felt his wrist against my lips.

“You can bite down if it hurts.”

“Won’t it hurt you?”

“Don’t worry. I can take it.”

Before I could answer, the exam-room door swung open.

Blake stood in the doorway, breathing hard, his hair disheveled by the wind.

Julian and I were still close together, his hand over my eyes. Something in Blake’s gaze dimmed as he

looked at us.

“She’s just getting her knee treated. Do you have to be all over each other?”

Julian lowered his hand, his voice even.

“Just getting her knee treated? You make it sound so trivial.”

“How many times has she gotten hurt like this because of you?”

Blake stiffened.

“Don’t put this on me! People get hurt doing extreme sports.”

“I’ve known Raina for five years. She’s not as fragile as you think.”

Julian gave a cold laugh.

“That’s because she was afraid to tell you how much pain she was in.”

“You don’t deserve a place in her life, Blake.”

Blake’s expression changed. “This is between me and her.”

“You disappear for years, then come back acting like you know her so well? You don’t hear how ridiculous

that sounds?”

Julian stood, putting himself between us.

“At least I won’t let her get hurt.”

“You-”

“Enough.”

The doctor set the tray down with a bang and looked at them impatiently.

“This is a hospital, not a place to fight over her. She stays. You two, out.”

My ears burned.

Julian glanced down to make sure I was okay before stepping outside.

Blake tried to say something else, but one glare from the doctor sent him out, too.

The door didn’t quite close. The hallway was quiet, and although they kept their voices low, I could still

hear bits of their conversation.

Blake spoke first.

“Don’t act like you’re so devoted to her.”

“If you really cared, you wouldn’t have disappeared back then without a single word.”