Her eyes caught on her reflection in the mirror as she shimmied out of her skirt, and she sucked in a breath at the sight of the tattoo. Her fingernails raked over it lightly, wishing she could scratch it right off and be done with it. Be done with its memories. Her fingernails scratched harder. God, what had she been thinking?

“I don’t think it works like that.”

Brynn let out a screech at the unexpected voice as she threw her arms over herself, futilely trying to cover the essential areas. Not that it mattered. Will wasn’t even trying to look at her more interesting parts.

And if Will Thatcher was passing up an opportunity to stare at her boobs, they were really and truly over.

Hot blue eyes gave her a pitying look as she grabbed for a towel and wrapped it around herself. “I don’t know why you bother. It’s nothing I haven’t already seen, and the novelty’s worn off. Not all that impressive to begin with, actually.”

Brynn’s chest heaved in agitation as she debated just how bad a murder charge would be. “Get out.”

She didn’t bother asking how he’d gotten in. He seemed to think that being neighbors was akin to being roommates. Will merely leaned against the doorway, clearly having no intention of going anywhere until they had this out.

She didn’t even know what this was.

“Why’d you do it?” she asked. To her horror, her voice broke as she blinked back big pathetic tears.

Brynn saw his fist clench and unclench as his expression softened for a split second. She thought he might apologize. Maybe even reach for her.

But then his hand clenched into a fist and the shutters went down. “Why’d I do what? Tell Mommy and Daddy their daughter got herself a little ink?”

She swallowed. “That. And you let them think…”

“That we fucked?”

Brynn winced and gave a little huff of dismay. But one look at Will’s angry face told her it was the wrong thing to do.

“What’s wrong, you embarrassed? Embarrassed that you got caught banging someone without a 401(k)? Embarrassed that you did something the country club would frown upon?”

He advanced on her, but Brynn stood her ground. Had no choice, really, unless she wanted to back up into the tub.

“It was supposed to be our secret,” she said, keeping her voice low and calm.

His face contorted in disgust. “And who decided that?”

Brynn blinked. “We did.”

“No, we sure as hell didn’t!” he exploded, throwing his arms in the air.

She stared at him in stunned silence. She didn’t know what was more shocking, the fact that the usual implacable Will was having an outburst, or what the outburst itself suggested.

“What are you talking about?” she said, frowning in confusion. “We decided three years ago after that…mistake…that we wouldn’t tell anyone.”

“Did we really? Because that’s not the way I remember it.”

“But—”

He didn’t let her finish. “The way I remember it, a woman I’d known forever showed up on my front porch, screwed my brains out, and then promptly swore me to secrecy like I was some sort of humiliating disease.”

Brynn scoffed. “Don’t even try to make it sound like you wanted to go public. You’ve always hated me.”

He didn’t respond, but his eyes were fierce as he moved even closer. This time, instinct did have Brynn stepping back until her heels hit the tub. Her heart began to pound. She’d seen a lot of versions of Will over the years, but never this one.

The man was livid.

And she had no idea why.

“Will, let’s just calm down a sec. Let me put some clothes on and we can discuss this like rational adults.”

He let out a harsh laugh. “Do you even hear yourself? A guy is standing here trying to tell you something and all you want to do is be rational.”

Brynn licked her dry lips, all instincts on high alert. “Fine. What do you want to tell me?”

His eyes roamed over her hair, his chin resting against his chest briefly in defeat before he raised his head again. “Just forget it.”

Before she realized what she was doing, she reached out a pleading hand. “Wait, I want to know—”

He backed out of her reach. “No, you don’t, Brynn. You really don’t. If you did, you would have shown some sort of reaction when I showed up with another woman at your family’s house tonight.”

“Well, I certainly showed emotion when you sold me out to my parents!”

His hands found her shoulders and gave her a little shake. “And what was it you were feeling, Brynn? Anger? Embarrassment?’

Hurt.

She took a breath. Then another. And then said it. “It hurt.”

His lips twisted slightly. “It was supposed to.”

She shouldn’t be surprised, but it still felt like a slap in the face.

“Why?” she asked in a small voice.

He ignored her question. “What exactly are you so scared of, Brynn? That all your friends will turn their backs on you because you didn’t marry a doctor? My God, do you really think a friend would even care?”

“No,” she said in a small voice.

“Then why? Why don’t I even get a chance?”

“Because guys like you aren’t interested in girls like me!” she exploded. “Not for keeps, anyway!”

His jaw dropped slightly. “What the hell are you even talking about? What do you mean guys like me?”

She rolled her shoulders restlessly. “You know. Popular guys. And then the not-so-popular girls.”

Will stared at her for several seconds. “Hold up. Did we just take a time machine to high school? God, is that why you always date boring nerds? Because they won’t reject you?”

A time machine to before high school, actually, she thought. But she’d already said way more than she’d wanted to. “Can you please just…leave?” she asked weakly.

“Not until you explain. Are you pushing me away because you’re holding on to some shitty memories of when you were a little chubby and awkward?”

She sucked in a small breath. “You don’t know anything about it.”

“Damn straight! Because you never told me.”

“Because it’s painful,” she said. She waited to feel righteous. Waited to feel justified in her confession. Instead, she felt…small. And a little pathetic.

“Look, Brynn…don’t let a few ancient insecurities ruin this.”

“There’s nothing to ruin.”

“Bullshit,” he said plainly.

Her hair was sticking to her neck and it was getting increasingly harder to breathe. Why the hell was he pushing this? She needed him out. She needed space. She needed…

“We’re not right for each other,” she said, tightening the towel around her and forcing herself to take deep, even breaths.

“Why not?”

“Because you’re all charming and easygoing, and everyone loves you just by looking at you, and you’re going to wake up one day and realize that you don’t want me.”

Will threw his hands up in the air. “Dammit, Brynn! You’re not Dumpy Dalton anymore!”

A gasp ripped out of her at his words. Words she hadn’t heard in…

“Where’d you hear that name?” she whispered.

He took a deep breath. “Sophie.”

She would kill her sister.

“Well, then she also probably told you about how I…”

“Yeah, yeah, how you were unpopular, and probably a little weird and you had bad skin, bad teeth, a limp, whatever.”

A limp?

“But, Brynn…you’ve got to get over it.”

Hot anger rushed over it. “Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare tell me how I’m supposed to feel. You don’t know what it was like.”

His face softened slightly. “You’re right, I don’t. And I hate that kids were mean to you. Hate that I was mean to you, even though all I ever wanted was for you to look at me. Bullying is real, and it’s vicious, and I wish like hell that I could go back and beat up anyone who ever made you cry, my past self included. But it was what, fifteen years ago? You’ve got to stop letting it ruin your adult life.”