As promised, Talon was waiting for Keeley when her shifted ended. She couldn't help but notice the looks he was getting from passing females. Not that she could blame them. He was quite a sight. He was casually leaning against the pier's handrail in black jeans and a black shirt with a long-sleeve button-down over top. The sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, showing off a black watch on his wrist.

Before she could ask where they were going, he grabbed her hand and directed her to his truck. He opened the passenger door and helped her get in. Fully expecting him to close the door, she let out a startled gasp when his hands grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her down for a hard, quick kiss.

"What was that for?" she asked when he released her.

Grinning, Talon pulled back and closed the door without answering. He jogged around the back of the truck and hopped in the driver seat. After pulling out of the parking lot, he reached across the center console and grabbed her hand. "I have a surprise for you."

She raised an eyebrow at his announcement. "I thought we were going to talk."

"We are," he reassured her, squeezing her hand. "But I want to show you something first."

Trepidation filled her. Glancing down at their entwined fingers, she asked softly, "Can't we do it after? I really want to talk, Talon." She needed answers and she was too afraid if he did something sweet and romantic she would never get them.

"It can wait. I found this great—" He faltered as he caught a glimpse of her solemn expression. "What's going on? I know we have more to discuss, but I thought..." His eyes turned a murky blue as concern darkened his face. "Is this about my friends? Because I set them straight about what happened. They know you mean more to me than some idiotic plan of revenge."

"That's not it, but it's nice to know you were finally honest."

If she hadn't been looking closely she would have missed his imperceptible flinch. He gave an audible swallow and then admitted, "I owed it to them and most importantly, I owed it to you to tell them the truth."

"And what about other truths?" she pressed.  

"What do you mean?"

She hesitated before saying, "Zach told me something."

He exhaled loudly and released her hand. Her fingers flexed as the urge to reach over and snatch his hand back overwhelmed her. To curb the desire, she shoved her fingers under her leg.

Grabbing the steering with both hands, he muttered, "Why am I not surprised? You know, I'm really tired of him being an issue between us."

"And you don't think I am?" she shot back.

Irritation clouded his face. "Then why are you letting it?"

She didn't want to get into it with him right here in the truck, but since he was pushing the issue she gave in. "Because I don't think you've been entirely honest about Claire," she confessed.

Talon stilled. "W-What—" He broke off as his voice cracked. Clearing his throat, he swallowed and tried again. "What exactly did your brother tell you?"

"Not much except that I should ask you. And I have to tell you, I've gone over all the facts and it's not adding up. I'm missing something—something big." She glanced over and frowned. "And your expression right now is only confirming my suspicions."

He attempted to smooth the agitation on his face, but it was too late. She already saw it. Knew there was more to the story than what he was letting on.

"So?" she prodded when he didn't speak.

"Let's not hash this out right now," he told her, a hint of desperation coating his words. "There's another geocaching site I want to take you too. Let's do that and then we can talk."

"I want to know, Talon," she said firmly. She wouldn't back down, not now, not when their relationship was on the line. "I need to know."

He appeared at war with himself as he bit his lower lip. Then a fierce look of determination swept over him. He yanked the wheel and suddenly she was thrown against the passenger door. His truck squealed to a stop alongside the shoulder of the road.

"Was that really necessary?" she exclaimed, throwing a hand out to steady herself.

A pair of burning blue eyes stared back at her. "You want to know what happened? Fine. Let's talk." He pushed open his door and marched over to her side. His body was rigid as he opened her door and waited for her to get out.

Silently, she followed him as he trudged through the sand and made his way to the shoreline. Orange and pink painted the sky as the sun dipped behind the horizon. It would have been a romantic moment if the topic had been anything other than an ex-girlfriend.

He finally stopped when the waves of the rising tide lapped against his ankles. Looking out at the sea, he jammed his hands into his front pockets and hunched his shoulders. "I'm not sure how to tell you," he started. "I never wanted you to know, but in the back of my mind, I think I always knew it would come to this."

She stopped several feet away and made an indiscernible sound. The only acknowledgement she gave that she heard him.

"Growing up, I was always getting in trouble for being too impetuous. My grandpa use to warn me that someday I would regret not taking the time to stop and think before acting." He shook his head slightly and gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Damn, was he ever right. There's not a day that goes by that I don't wish I had stopped to think after finding out about Claire and Zach."

His ominous words sent a ripple of alarm over her skin. She shivered and rubbed her arms, trying to inject warmth into her body. The motion caught his attention. Without hesitation, he took off his button-down shirt and draped it over her shoulders. She went to give him a small smile of thanks, but he'd already turned to look back at the ocean. She took that time to study his profile. The playful smirk that usually lit up his face was gone. Instead, he wore a dull expression mixed with resignation and sadness.

"I was so enraged when I caught them," he continued. "I don't know what was worse, learning about her cheating, or knowing the person she betrayed me for was Zach. The night I find out, I confronted her. I demanded to know why she would do such a thing. I thought everything was fine. We had a great relationship so why would she turn to Zach? Why would she cheat?" The pain in his voice rose with each word. "What could he give her that and I couldn't? Why wasn't I—" He broke off and pressed his lips together. Clenching his hands into tight fists, he tried again. "Why wasn't I...enough?"

"Oh Talon," she murmured as her heart broke for him. She reached out to offer comfort, but he recoiled as if she burned him.  

"Don't feel sorry for me," he barked, wrenching away from her and wading farther into the water. "I don't deserve it."

"What was her explanation when you asked?"

His shoulders hunched even more. "She said I was too intense. Wasn't ready for that type of relationship and Zach..." he swallowed "...Zach made her laugh."

"That's still no excuse for what she did. If she felt it wasn't working out with you, she should have talked about it first, not gone behind your back."

"Don't judge her too harshly. We all make mistakes."

"You're defending her?" she asked incredulously.

 "I don't applaud her for her actions, but I understand why she felt the way she did. When we were dating, I was still dealing with my grandpa's death. I constantly talked to her about how I was feeling and what I was going through. It wasn't pretty." He grimaced. "In fact, it was kind of dark. It was a lot to put on anyone's shoulders, much less a teenage girl. Combine all that with the pressure of football and..." He shrugged. Then kicked the incoming tide, sending a cascade of water back into the ocean. "Let's just say it was the perfect time for Zach to swoop in."

"Okay, so she's not some horrible man-eating wench—"

"Wench?" he interrupted. A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I didn't know people still used that term."

"That's what I keep imagining her as," she answered defensively. "Taking advantage of you and Zach like that."

He puffed out a laugh. "I don't think anyone has ever claimed to take advantage of us. More the other way around." His words struck a chord in him and he quickly grew somber. Regret laced his voice as he quietly confessed, "I made a mistake, Keeley. A very bad mistake. And I'm terrified that when I tell you, you're going to walk away and never look back."

A feeling of dread gnawed away at her. She yanked down the sleeves of his shirt and crossed her arms over her stomach. His face gentled and he began moving towards her, looking as if he was going to draw her into his arms, but then suddenly halted when she asked, "W-What did you do?"

She purposefully sidestepped his comment about walking away. She wouldn't promise him something unless she positive she wouldn't do it. The long look he gave her suggested he noticed her omission also.  

"After confronting her, I left with my friends," he replied. "We went over to Finn's house and started drinking. I was getting really worked up over it. I kept going on and on about how she betrayed me. After letting me vent, Finn piped up and said it's too bad she didn't understand how it felt to be betrayed."

Tension mounted as he paused and ran a hand over his face. "I remember the exact moment when it hit me. I was holding my phone, looking at the picture of them kissing and I thought of the other photos I had of her." The muscle in his jaw popped as he gritted his teeth. "Revealing photos."

She sucked in a breath as she realized what he was saying. "You—You...?"

His gaze dropped to the ground, but not before she saw the dark mass of shame swarming his eyes. "I sent them to my friends."

Dismay quickly turned to horror. That poor girl. Those pictures must have been passed around like wildfire. Keeley could only imagine the type of nasty gossip that followed her, plus the amount of heckling she got from fellow students.

"See?!" he exploded, throwing his hands up. "This is why I didn't want you to know. I never wanted you to look at me like that." He motioned to her face. "Sick with revulsion."

"Well it's a little hard not to. My God, Talon," she cursed, shaking her head in disbelief. "How could you do something like that? Do you know what that type of exposure can do to a girl?" Teenagers were merciless, especially with gossip. They attacked people with more determination than a pit bull.

"You don't think I regret it?" he cried. Remorse poured out of him as his face scrunched up in distress. "When I woke up the next morning, I tried to take it all back, but by then the damage was already done. Everyone had the pictures."

"Is that why she moved?" she asked, starting to fill in the missing pieces of the story.

He nodded. "About a month after the incident her house went on sale. She moved an hour north of here. I tried to apologize, but she refused to talk to me." He bit the inside of his cheek and closed his eyes briefly. "You have no idea how much I wish I had stopped and thought about the repercussions of sending those photos."

"Probably not as much as she did," she muttered. Keeley regretted the snarky remark the instant it left her mouth. "I shouldn't have said that."

Hurt flared in his eyes before blonde lashes fell, obscuring her view. He shoved his hands in his pocket and shuffled his feet. "It's fine. It's most likely the truth anyway. So now you know. That's the whole sordid tale."

Unsure of what to say or do, Keeley copied his movements and shuffled her feet. Her mind raced as she went over everything she learned. She knew he was sorry. It was evident in every word, every motion he said and did. But despite all that, how could she trust him? After everything they'd been through, he hadn't told her. It was only when she forced the issue did he come clean. What else was he holding back? And more importantly, what else was he capable of? Being a hothead and making a rash decision was one thing, but doing what he did? It was vindictive and extremely hurtful.

Her chest ached as she reached a decision. A part of her protested, rebelling against the thought, but she silenced the feeling. Gathering her courage, she schooled her features and carefully said without censure, "It's a lot to take in."

It was as if he knew what was coming. His whole body stiffened and turned into rock as he braced for the inevitable. The only part that wasn't hard was his eyes. They had a softness to them, a vulnerability that he didn't hide. It was a gleaming beacon that called to her in the darkness of the moment. For a few seconds, she contemplated falling into his arms and assuring him everything would be okay, but her conscious intervened. 

Forcing herself to continue, she said, "I'm not sure how to process it all. What you did was awful, Talon. It was a huge breach of trust. You ruined that girl's high school experience so much that she was forced to move."

"I would never do something like that to you," he swore, his tone insistent.

"You say that now, but what happens when I do something that upsets you?"

He picked up her hand and placed it on his chest, holding it there with his own. His heart beat rapidly under her palm. "I've learned my lesson, Keeley. I've changed. I know you don't believe me. And that's completely understandable. But at least give me the opportunity to prove I'm not that guy anymore."

Sorrow lodged in her throat as his blue eyes compelled her to listen—to believe. The need to oblige was overwhelming. Fighting it, her fingers curled into his chest, clutching his shirt. Drawing a deep breath, she explained, "It's the fact that you were that guy in the first place that worries me. It's like finding out about your name all over again. When will the lies of omission end?"

"Trust me," he whispered, crushing her curled hand over his heart.

"You ask me to blindly trust you, when you've never shown me the same regard. When will you trust me?"

Something darker, almost primal flickered in his eyes. "When I know you won't walk away from me."

"That's not a relationship, Talon. Keeping secrets only hurts what we've built. Each time you lied to me, you eroded part of our foundation...our bond."

"Can you honestly say if you knew everything upfront you would have given me a chance?"

Hesitation lined her face.

"Exactly! Don't you see?" He clutched her shoulders and gave her a firm, but gentle shake. "I was giving us time to connect, to build our foundation so it could withstand all the heavy secrets. Since the day I found out who you were, I knew the odds were stacked against us. I purposefully kept you in the dark so we would at least have a fighting chance of coming out of this together."

"That may be so, but you're forgetting something." Narrowing her eyes, she rose on her tiptoes and went nose to nose with him. "You were never going to tell me, Talon. Never," she repeated in a harsh whisper. "If I hadn't pushed, you would have happily left me in the dark." She pounded her fist against his chest. "Admit it."

"Yes, I admit I would have, but can you blame me?" She tempted to pull away, but he banded an arm around her and kept her tightly pressed against him. "Why would I want the girl I care about to know my darkest secret? The one that I'm most ashamed about?"

Fury threaded her voice. "You tell me because it's the right thing to do. You tell me because I should have equal partnership. I'm sick and tired of you making all the decisions. You have no right to decide what is right for this relationship and what is wrong." Her brown eyes grew animated as she jabbed his chest again. "I'm in this too. And I should have a choice."

"I was doing what I thought was best," he managed to say through clenched teeth. "I made mistakes. I see that now, and as much as I would like to, I can't change the past."

"And what about the future? How do I know you won't do the same thing next time?"

 "Oh, so there's a chance we have a relationship now? Because I'm positive a minute ago you were going to break up with me because you couldn't stand to live under my brutal regime."

His sarcastic tone broke something in her. She scrambled to repair it, but it was too late. The dam to her emotions came tumbling down and all her feelings surfaced. Tears welled in her eyes. Slowly, they coursed down her face, leaving behind a salty trail.

Talon felt the dampness of her skin as he cradled her face. "I'm sorry, baby doll. So sorry," he whispered in a tortured voice. He rested his forehead against hers, gently wiping away the tears with his thumb. "Please don't cry." His lips followed his finger, pressing soft kisses against her cheek. The gesture was so tender, so loving, she cried even harder.

"You confuse me so much," she admitted, ducking her head. A curtain of dark hair fell around her. He pushed back the silken locks and tucked it behind her ear. "Sometimes it feels as if I'm dating two different guys."

"I'm just me," he replied.

She wiped away the last of her tears and raised her head. "But you're not. Sometimes you can be Talon and other times you can be JT."

"There's a difference?"

"A huge one. When you're Talon, you're sweet and funny. Most of the time that's who you are around me, but every so often I catch a glimpse JT. I could overlook the two personas because for the most part, JT didn't bleed into our relationship, but they're converging now and I don't know how to reconcile the two."

He dropped his hands and took a step back. "That's crazy talk. You're not making any sense."

She chewed on her lower lip as she contemplated a theory that'd been forming in her mind for a while now. "I have a question for you. What did Claire call you when you two dated? JT or Talon?"

He cocked his head to the side as his forehead lined with concentration. "JT," he answered slowly.

"And when you hang out with your friends you're JT too, right?"

"You're the only one I allow to call me Talon."

She pushed away the surge of delight and concentrated on her point. "That's what I thought. When you're JT, you become this whole different guy and frankly, I don't like him. He's the guy who hurt Claire. He's the one who decided to listen to his friends and get revenge. He's the one I don't trust."

His nostrils flared. "So what? That's it? You decide you don't like all aspects of me and quit? You're not even going to try?"

Her eyes burned as she looked away and quietly whispered, "I don't know if I want to."

Her heartbreaking admission hung in the air.

One second went by.

Then another.

And another.

His harsh breathing filled the silence. She could feel the heat of his gaze. She almost flinched as it touched every part of her, scorching its way through her clothes, burning her skin.

"Look at me," he ordered.

She couldn't. She felt too much, hurt too deeply.

"Look at me, Keeley," he repeated, injecting a harsh tone.

She braced herself when she felt his finger tilt her chin up, but nothing prepared her for what she saw. Raw pain colored his eyes—his feelings so opaque, so dark, only thin wisps of aquamarine shined through. The evocative picture was hauntingly beautiful.

"If you tell me right now there's no chance of us being together, then I'll walk away. I won't bother you again." Her chest tightened at the sound of his voice. It held so many layers, so many emotions. He gave her cheek a light caress. "But if you feel there's even the slightest chance of us working out, then I'll fight with everything I have to prove you can trust me."

If he had offered her this a few weeks ago, she would have taken it, but too many things happened since then. Her heart squeezed painfully as she whispered, "I'm sorry, but I can't give you what you want."

Pain slashed through his face as his eyes slowly closed. When he opened them again, his expression was void of all emotion. He stepped back and let his hand fall to his side. "Let's get you home," he said in an even tone.

The drive back was agonizingly long. She would have felt better if he showed her some type of emotion— anger or scorn or something—but he was frighteningly blank. She couldn't read anything off of him. It was as if a protective shell encased his feelings. She hated it, absolutely hated it. He always let her in. That's when the reality of what she was losing hit her full force. Her gut tightened as she blinked back the tears.

By the time he pulled into her driveway she was anxious to get out. Before he could even put his truck in park, she had the door halfway open.

"Wait," he said.

A small bubble of hope rose inside of her. Even though she said no, a part of her still wanted him to try and change her mind.

"You have my..."

She looked down at where he was motioning and saw she was still wearing his long-sleeve shirt. "Oh. You probably want that back, huh?" she asked slightly embarrassed. She slipped out of the soft fabric and handed it back to him.

"Thanks, but I was actually referring to my class ring."

All hope burst into a million pieces. "O-Of course. Stupid of me to forget." She forced a chuckle. "I've gotten so used to it around my neck, I don't notice it anymore."

Her fingers were numb as she fumbled with the clasp. Her heart stopped as he turned her around in the seat and swept her hair over one shoulder. She shivered when he leaned forward and picked up the necklace. He was so close she could feel the heat of his breath against her neck. He opened the clasp and let the ends go. The silver chain cascaded over her shoulders and dropped into her lap. With a trembling hand, she removed the ring and looked over her shoulder.

Talon hadn't moved an inch. His face was so close, she only had to extend her neck and they'd be touching. His breathing grew shallow as his gaze dropped to her lips. His eyes weren't blank now. In fact, they were glowing with longing. Her lips tingled as her lashes fluttered down. She angled her head and—

Bang! Bang!

"Hey! No making out with my sister in a public place! There are children about for Christ's sake!"

Her eyes popped open just in time to see Talon's shutter. With his blank façade firmly in place, he reached around her and took his ring from her fingers.  

"You should go. His face is turning bright red and if he keeps pulling his hair like that he's going to start to molt," he told her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zach issuing idle threats as angry red spots appeared on his skin. "Guess he won't have to worry about you and me anymore," she mumbled.

"Guess not," he agreed.

Keeley clutched the door handle as she debated how to say goodbye. However, Talon took the option out of her hands.

Facing forward, he placed both hands on the wheel and said, "Good luck with everything, Keeley."

"You too." Even though he wouldn't look at her, she gave him a sad smile and hopped out of the truck. As he drove off, she raised a hand and whispered, "Bye Talon."