Broken Beautiful Hearts(90)
“Hey, Owen,” Christian says. He’s standing at the top of the stairs, watching us. It’s annoying and creepy at the same time.
Owen tips his chin at him. “What’s up?”
That’s when Cameron turns the corner at the landing. The Twins exchange conspiratorial looks. Now they’re both watching us.
Christian clears his throat. “This thing going on between you two … It’s a bad idea.”
For a second, I think he’s joking.
“We’re just going to the movies,” Owen says.
Cam walks halfway down the stairs and stands below Christian. “It’s nothing personal, Owen.”
Who do they think they are?
I turn on the Twins. “What the hell is wrong with you two? We’re going to the movies, not eloping.”
“You’ve been spending a lot of time together. Things can happen,” Cam says. “You can end up having feelings for someone that you weren’t expecting.”
“Are we talking about me, Cam?” I ask pointedly. “Or you?”
Cameron looks away. “I’m just saying that sometimes feelings sneak up on you.”
“And if they did, would it really be that bad?”
Christian watches Owen, who hasn’t looked up once.
Why is Owen so quiet? I bet he’s trying to stay calm so he won’t lose it and pummel my cousins. I’ve never seen him so uncomfortable. He looks lost—the same way he did the day I saw him sitting in the car with his mom before school.
“You don’t want to get attached to him, Peyton,” Christian warns. “Trust me.”
“Trust you to give me dating advice? That must be a joke. You don’t even have the guts to tell Grace that you’re not interested in her. Are you just going to string her along until she leaves for college? Or are you planning to keep her around as a backup for holidays and summer break?”
Christian scowls. “You can give me shit me if it makes you feel better, but it won’t change anything. Getting involved with him is a mistake.”
“Why, Christian? Is he a serial killer? A bank robber? What’s so terrible that I can’t handle?”
“I think we should go,” Owen says softly.
I keep my eyes fixed on the Twins. “No. I want an answer. Is this about Owen being a fighter? Because I don’t care.”
“It’s not about that,” Cam says. “We just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“You already said that, and I’m not a child. I can make my own decisions.”
Owen gives the Twins a pleading look. “I would never hurt her.”
“Maybe not on purpose,” Christian says.
“Then what’s the problem?” I yell.
Cameron curses under his breath. “You can’t get attached to him because—”
“Because what?”
“He’s gonna die,” Christian blurts out.
For a second, I can’t make sense of the words. “What do you mean, die?”
Christian slumps against the wall. “Sorry, Owen. But she’s our cousin.”
I look at Owen, but he won’t make eye contact with me. “Owen?” When he doesn’t say anything, I turn back to my cousins. “Is this about his asthma?”
The Twins look at each other, and Cam says, “Owen doesn’t have asthma.”
“You’re wrong. I saw him have an attack.”
Owen finally looks at me. “I was going to tell you, Peyton. I swear.”
“Tell me what?” A strange feeling comes over me. This is how glass shatters. It starts with a tiny crack, and the pressure causes it to splinter.
“Owen, do you have asthma?”
He stares at the floor. “No.”
It feels like someone punched me in the gut, and I reach for the door to steady myself. “You lied to me?”
“I was going to tell you.”
“Tell me what? I don’t even know what we’re talking about.”
“I have a condition,” Owen says.
“Like a disease?” What if it’s cancer?
“No. It’s a genetic condition. I was born with it. I didn’t know until two years ago.” Owen looks at me like he knows what he’s about to say will crush me—and destroy us both.
“Something is wrong with my heart …
“I could die tomorrow.”
CHAPTER 37
Heartache
AFTER OWEN LEAVES, the world collapses around me.
He lied to me.
He lied to me and he might die.
Someone knocks on my door. “Peyton? It’s Christian.”
“Go away.”
“I wanted to see if you were okay. Do you need anything?”
“Not from you.”
I walk into the bathroom and turn on the shower full blast. Maybe that will get rid of him. I don’t want to know why Christian and Cameron kept Owen’s condition a secret, or how much they know about it. The Twins should have told me.
The real question is why didn’t I figure it out myself?
How did I miss the signs?
Again.
The night I found Owen in the locker room after the semifinals, I should’ve realized he wasn’t telling me the whole story. Why didn’t I ask more questions?