But he was a drug dealer. A liar. A malicious drunk. I had to
He hung his head and sighed. “I guess I deserve that.”
remember these things.
You guess? You guess ?!
“It’s in my blood,” he continued. “Not that that’s an excuse. It’s He looked up at me, his brown eyes pleading. “I swear to God,
not. I just . . . I know I have to get help. I know that. I mean, Christ, Reed, I didn’t m
ean to yell at you like that. I didn’t know you were I’ve been wishing my parents would do it all these years, so what going to trip.”
kind of hypocrite would I be if I didn’t do it myself?”
I stared at him. What was I supposed to say to that? Oh, no problem?
“So you’re . . . going to rehab?” I asked.
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Thomas let out a wry laugh. “I would. I really would. But I can’t.
“Okay,” I said quietly, clinging to him. “I’ll help you. Whatever Not without my parents finding out. I’m still a minor for another six you need.”
months,” he said, looking me in the eye. “And I can’t tell them this.
“Thank you,” Thomas cried into my sweater.
They’ll just laugh it off. They’ll just tell me to toughen up.”
As his sobs slowly quieted, I sat there and thought of Noelle. I My heart went out to him in that moment. He looked so vulnerable.
knew what she would do in this situation. She would be strong. She And scared. Like a little kid whose parents had just let him down for would get up and tell him to go to hell. That she didn’t need this the ten millionth time. He wanted help, but he couldn’t even go to kind of crap in her life. But all I wanted was to keep holding him. I his parents for it. He must have seen the change in my expression wanted both of us to feel that everything was going to be all right.
because he moved back over to my bed. I didn’t flinch when he
Eventually Thomas took a deep breath and sat up. He wiped
reached for my hands. For a moment he stared down at our fingers.
under his eyes and shot me an embarrassed smile. But even with a
“I know you won’t forgive me,” he said. “But I need to figure this red nose and a tear-streaked face, he was still beautiful. So incredibly, out and I don’t think I can do this without you, Reed,” he told me, amazingly beautiful.
looking me in the eye now. He swallowed hard. “I . . . I need your
“Are you okay?” I asked, my heart heavy.
help. Please. If you’re not with me on this, I don’t . . . I don’t know
“I will be. Now.” He took another deep breath and blew it out.