No Matter, You Don't Have to Wait for Me novel · Chapter 10 of 24

Chapter 10: Eight Years

"Sophomore year," Sergio said.

It was the first word anyone had said in a full minute.

He was still looking at the lasagna on his plate.

"Dario told us in the spring. In the dorm lounge. He made us swear."

"Swear what?" I asked.

"Not to tell anybody. Not you. Not our mothers. Not anyone who might say it to his."

"I ate lunch at your table every day by then."

"I know."

"Eight years, Sergio. You watched me cook for you for eight years."

"Dario said it wasn't our secret to tell," Sal said from the window, in a hoarse voice.

"But it was your secret to keep."

He had nothing to say to that.

Dario's mother had gone and sat down in the nearest chair, and she was holding Gemma's hand in both of hers.

I had never seen her sit while there were people standing.

"Justine," Dario said.

He had come around the table and stopped an arm's length from me.

"Don't touch me," I said.

"I'm not going to. Let me explain."

"All right. Explain."

"I couldn't tell you." He said it quickly. "You'd have told her. You'd have told my mother. You're the most honest person I know. You'd have sat across from her at some Christmas and it would have been all over your face."

"So you decided I couldn't be trusted with it."

"That's not what I'm saying."

"It's exactly what you're saying."

"I was trying to protect everyone."

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