Confess

by Colleen Hoover

“Does Auburn Mason Reed like me? Does she think I’m cute?”

“You can love a lot of things about a person but still not love the whole person.”

‘I’ve lost over one hundred pounds in the past year. Everyone thinks it’s because I’ve discovered a new healthy way of living, but really it’s because I suffer from depression and anxiety and I don’t want anyone to know.’ ”

‘I hate animals. Sometimes when my husband brings home a new puppy for our children, I’ll wait a few days and then drop it off miles from our house. Then I pretend it ran away.’ ”

‘My father has been having sex with me since I was eight years old. I’m thirty-three now and married with children of my own, but I’m still too scared to say no to him.’ ”

breath. “ ‘Every time I go out to eat, I secretly pay for someone’s meal. I can’t afford it, but I do it because it makes me feel good to imagine what that moment must be like for them, to know a complete stranger just did something nice for them with no expectations in return.’ ”

‘Every night after my son falls asleep, I hide a brand-new toy in his room. Every morning when he wakes up and finds it, I pretend not to know how it got there. Because Christmas should come every day and

I never want my son to stop believing in magic.’ ”

That could be fate, you know.

Texas is turning me into a whore.

about. Hey, I met this really attractive, successful guy, and he actually seems normal.

And I like it. I like it when he stares at me, because it’s been a long time since I’ve felt beautiful in someone else’s eyes.

This is exactly why I never do things like this.

explaining his remark in more detail. I love that he just said this, and it makes all the negative thoughts I was having about him disappear. Maybe I was wrong. I do tend to have irrational reactions from time to time.

A sudden knock on my door startles me, and I stand upright just as the door begins to crack open. He reappears in the doorway. “Will you lock your door behind me? You don’t live in the best neighborhood.”

“You walked me home. I couldn’t deny you the use of my restroom.”

“We haven’t even been on a date yet and you’re already trying to dictate who can and can’t use my restroom?”

“I had fun tonight,”

“I had funner.”

face. “My jokes always fail when I’m trying to impress a girl.”

“You’re lucky I like you, Auburn Mason Reed.”

“Oh my God,” I whisper. I think I might have a crush on that boy.

Owen is the last person I would associate with the word trouble.

If I were smarter, I would be at my place right now, getting dressed. If I were smarter, I’d be mentally preparing to show up at Auburn’s apartment, since that’s what I promised her I would do tonight. If I were smarter, I wouldn’t be sitting here. Waiting for my father to walk through the door and see my hands cuffed behind my back. I don’t really know how I should feel right now, but numbness probably isn’t the appropriate response. I just know he’s about to walk through that door any second and the last thing I want to do is look him in the eyes.

My father’s face remains expressionless. The only thing I see in his eyes is disappointment, and I don’t know if it’s disappointment because he failed at being a father or if it’s disappointment that I’m in this situation or if it’s disappointment that I just brought up Carey.

Get it under control, Dad.

“How can I help you, Owen? How can I make this better for you?”

need to get my life straightened out enough for her to want to be a part of it.

“It’s not fine, Owen! I’ve been telling you to stop this shit for over a year now. I knew it would catch up with you and I hate being the one to say I told you so, but I fucking told you so about a million goddamn times.”