Page 257 of Faking the Goal

My... whatever the fuck Kentaro is at this point.

"So," Caroline says beside me.

There's something about that one word that immediately makes me suspicious.

I slowly turn my head. "So?"

She's sitting cross-legged against the headboard with a handful of popcorn halfway to her mouth, watching me instead of the commercial.

"What's going on with you and Kentaro?"

I nearly choke. "What?"

"Oh, come on." She laughs. "I've been trying not to pry because I figured if you wanted to tell me, you would. But this is, what, the third time Kentaro has asked if you could stay with me while they're away?"

I look down at the popcorn in my hand.

"And every single time," she continues, gentler now, "he gives me some version of 'Don't let Taylor go anywhere alone' and then texts me at least twice to make sure everything's okay."

Yeah.

That sounds like Ken-chan.

Caroline nudges my knee with hers. "I know he's protective of you, but lately it feels like there's something else going on."

There is.

A whole fucking lot of something else.

For a few seconds, I stare at the laptop without actually seeing it. I've thought about telling her before. More than once, actually. Caroline and I have gotten close enough lately that keeping something this huge from her has started to feel strange, especially when she keeps rearranging her own plans to let me stay here without ever demanding an explanation.

And maybe she deserves one.

"Can I tell you something?" I ask finally. "Like... actually confide in you?"

Her expression changes immediately.

"Of course."

"I'm serious, Care."

"So am I."

I worry my bottom lip between my teeth. "I'm not very good at this." I gesture vaguely between us. "Girl talk. Confiding. Whatever this is supposed to be." I give an embarrassed little shrug. "I've never really had friends before. Not like this, anyway. So I don't exactly know the protocol."

For a second, she just looks at me.

Then her face softens.

"Well, lucky for you, there's no protocol. And you have a friend now. You can tell me anything, Taylor." She reaches over and squeezes my hand. "I mean it."

Something embarrassingly warm settles inside me.

I swallow before I tell her everything.

By the time I finish, Caroline has completely forgotten about the game.

"Jesus Christ, Taylor."