The Cell Phone Swap

Chapter 19 iAm a Fool

“JT?” Keeley gasped, all the blood draining out of her face. No. There’s no way that Talon could be JT. It had to be a mistake. He would have told her. He would have mentioned it during one of their talks. Keeley’s eyes flew to him and paused.

Wouldn’t he have?

Doubt started to creep in when he averted his eyes, not willing to face her. “Look at me,” she pleaded, trying to ignore the heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Silently, she prayed that her brother was wrong. That the handsome, arrogant, boy who had wormed his way into her life wasn’t JT. That he hadn’t lied to her about who he was. Please, Talon, tell me it isn’t true. Tell me you didn’t lie to me.

Anxiously, she waited for him to meet her gaze and when he did, she felt the air rush out of her of lungs. His blue eyes were normally crystal clear, but now they were clouded with guilt.

‘No,’ she thought to herself. ‘No. This is all a mistake. He is not JT. He is Talon. My Talon.’

“Baby doll,” he whispered softly, the words barely audible.  

Keeley flinched, the endearment cutting through her denial like a hot knife.

“What the hell is going on here Keels?” Zach demanded to know.

She ignored her twin, keeping her eyes locked with the boy standing before her. “You’re JT?” she whispered, her tone full of condemnation.

Talon’s face contorted. “Keeley-”

“You’re the varsity quarterback of Crosswell?” However, she didn’t need him to answer. The look on his face said it all. “Did you know Zach was my brother? That he was the quarterback of Edgewood?”

Talon dropped his eyes to the ground, breaking their connection.

‘Coward,’ she thought to herself. ‘He’s a freaking coward.’  

“Did you?” she pressed on, her temper rising. Silently, she dared him to raise his head, to look at her in the eye and tell her the truth. “Did you?” she repeated, her voice escalating in volume.

Talon remained silent, refusing to answer. The tension in the air was so heavy it was almost stifling.

“Answer me!” she screeched, demanding that he admit what she already knew.

Talon’s jaw clenched, every muscle in his body rigid. Seconds passed before he whispered the one word she was waiting for.

“Yes.”

Keeley’s heart slammed into her chest. How could he? How could he? After everything that had happened in Santa Barbara? After everything they had shared? How could he have lied to her like that?  She thought they had grown closer over the past two days. Sure, they weren’t close friends, but she deserved to at least know who he was. She deserved to at least know his name.  

She stared at the golden haired boy standing before her and let out a shaky breath. God. She had trusted him. She had confessed things not even her best friend knew about and he couldn’t even tell her the truth about the most basic of information. She was a fool. Such a damn fool.

“Keeley, wait. Let me explain.” Talon reached out to grab her hand, but Zach was quicker. With a rough tug, he pulled her behind him, shielding her from Talon’s view.

“Don’t touch her,” Zach hissed, spewing venom. “I don’t know what the hell is going on, but you don’t ever touch my sister.”

“Zach-” Keeley started, but she was ignored by both boys.