Sweet Secret by Karina Castillo (Bekacastle) (classic reads .TXT) 📖

“Daughter, I need you to do me a favor.” Mom was running around the house desperately, carrying a donut in her mouth, a coffee in one hand, and a folder in the other. “Find the stapler.”

I took one out of my backpack and handed it to him.

"Thanks, honey." Mom arranged the papers on the table and arranged them before stapling them. “When you get out of class I want you back here, remember that you are grounded. No Joe, no Anne, no Denzel Derricks. Especially the last one, I don't want you near him.”

I don't think he wants to walk away from me after last night.

“Why can't I miss?” reproach.

“We already talked about that, Rebecca, I don't want you to miss your classes. You have to continue with your career, and the scholarship does not pay for itself.” Mom grabbed her bag. “You know, after school you come back home.”

He would probably disobey, who knows.

Once my mother left for work, I put my backpack on the floor and took out my laptop. I had to report the publications of my notes. Whoever was doing this to me had close contact with me, knew my every move, but how the hell did they know?

The account from which they made the posts was anonymous, had no followers or tags, no information or photos. This was too suspicious.

The worst of all is that they found out the password to my cell phone. Either they have a great hacker or it's really someone close. My mother? I do not think so. Denzel? Possibly. Joe? Suspicious. Alessia and Jayden? Surely they worked with that person with a hidden identity.

I made myself an onion and after taking my backpack I left the house. This was a bad idea as always.

How was I going to get on with my life after Denzel knew I was…falling in love with him being an idiot?

"Hello, beautiful," I was surprised to see Joe in the garden of my house with a bouquet of orange roses. My favorite color.

"Hey Joe, what are you doing here?" I took the bouquet and smelled the flowers, they were beautiful and smelled delicious.

“I want to apologize for what happened last night.” He looked down. “I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you, Rebecca.”

“You didn't have to do that, Joe, I understand you didn't want to risk me. I was the one who got drunk and listened to some strange guy. If it hadn't been for Denzel…”

"Listen, Bec, I know you wanted to give us some time, but the further you get from me I want to hold you close, I want to try again and not be a jerk." 

But Denzel…

His damn manic kisses that ate away my thirst, if you can do that, of course.

"I love you, Beck. This time there won't be a Megan or a Jayden getting in the way. And I will talk to your mother, of course, I plan to talk to her and ask her to be my girlfriend.” Joe leaned into me and furtively grabbed my hand and kissed me on the back.

This is the perfect boy, the one that anyone would like to have.

Leave Joe, Rebecca.» I heard Denzel's voice like an echo in my mind.

Damn sexy Denzel, what the fuck are you doing to me?

"Say yes," Joe insisted.

“I'll think about it.” I clarified. “Now I have to think about what I'm going to do, everyone will make fun of me if I go to school.”

"That you don't care what they say." I followed Joe to his car, but saw Denzel's red Acura NSX parked a few feet from my house; he had a flower in his hands, the cap and his favorite jacket.

I hope Joe didn't notice.

I didn't know if Denzel was the one behind all those leaves and that humiliation, but even though he had saved me the night before, I didn't want to see him anymore, because when I saw him I fell back into his clutches. I was so stupid with him...!

Joe took me to school, lent me his glasses and that was the only way I could hide from the college vultures.

They thought I didn't notice, but they were desperately looking for me to make fun of me.

After school I went to room 101 to continue helping Denzel and Anne with the newspaper, since I had several proposals such as better nutrition such as removing the use of the microwave and pasta.

Anne was working when I walked in, and Denzel had a hand on his chin as he stared at the screen. I was upset. Very annoying.

"Hey guys." I put down my backpack and took a seat.

"Hello, Beck. We are working..."

"Shh," Denzel cut her off. “Don't tell her anything or she'll tell her perfect boyfriend.”

"You're rude." I darkened my eyes. I took the laptop out of my backpack, but Denzel spoke again.

"We want you to go, Rebecca." He didn't want to look at me, but I knew this was about earlier. “Me and Anne talked about it. You have no dedication, you are late, you have a bad reputation and you have many scandals. You are not fit.”

“So? And who the hell said that?”

"I'm the boss." He pounded the table with his fist. “And if I tell you that I don't want you to work with us, you won't, do you understand?”

I looked away when a tear slipped from my eye. That had been too much.

I put my things back and stood up.

Denzel didn't say anything else, and Anne looked at me with pity, like she wanted to do something but knew she couldn't, and didn't blame her because he was her best friend.
"I don't want to see you again." I hardened my voice with anger and left that place.

This day had been shit.

(...)

When we get home, Mom and I have Chinese food for dinner. Yes, we had lost the "diet" and we were already getting used to eating it often. I helped myself to more food and remained silent.

"Something's going on, but you won't tell me." My mother took a sip from her glass of wine and surveyed me through her glasses. “What's up, love?”