Page 64 of Filthy Little Secret

I’m tempted to chase them, but I need to make sure Mark is okay.

He’s breathing, but he’s not moving.

“Mark.”

Mark stirs.

“Are they gone?” he asks.

Relief washes through me.

“Holy shit, yes, but you scared the mother-loving shit out of us, dude,” Brody says.

“I thought it would freak them out if I played dead. Plus, damn, my face hurts from that punch.”

“What just happened?” a voice comes from behind us.

A familiar voice.

Fuck.

22

MARK

Greg approaches us as I climb to my feet.

“Greg, it’s nothing,” I say.

I can tell by the way his eyebrows are coming together that he’s confused about what’s going on.

“Did he hit you?” he asks.

“What?”

“No, dude,” Brody says. “Just calm the fuck down. We’ve had enough drama tonight.”

“What happened?” Greg asks.

“Some of Brody’s friends wanted a little blow, and I can’t give it to them,” Tim explains. “They got weird about it.”

“Weird? Then why the fuck was Mark on the fucking ground?”

“One of them hit him,” Brody explains.

“Oh, that’s fucking rich. Mark,” Greg says. “What are you even doing talking to this scumbag?”

I see the moment when his confusion shifts to knowing.

He must be able to read the expression on my face because I have no desire to hide this from him. Although, I know it’s gonna get back to Keith in no time, and he’s going to be pissed as fuck when he finds out.

“So you guys are like what? An item now?”

“We’re boyfriends,” I say.

“Oh, boyfriends now. Wow. What the fuck are you doing? Is this my fault?”

“Oh, shut up.”