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"I guess I deserve that," Cash hangs his head.
"So," I clear my throat. "What do you want?"
"I messed up, Ingrid." He sounds remorseful, but I'm not buying his crafty Allred act. "I was... there's a lot of stuff that's been going on. I haven't been honest with you."
I frown. "Like your mom stealing money from my dad's company, framing him, and then getting him fired?"
Cash's mouth drops open. "How did you find out?"
"Your mom's loose lips," I roll my eyes.
"She wore me down, Ingrid," he licks his lips nervously. "She threatened me with all kinds of things. I couldn't think straight anymore. So, when there was an opportunity to get away from it all, I took it. I know I shouldn't have but living with all that... all that chaos... it was draining."
"You should have told me the truth," I shake my head. "You owed me that much."
"I know," Cash stands and crosses the room. He tries to touch me, but I take a step back. "I messed up. And I don't expect you to forgive me. I just... I needed to see you."
"Why?" I counter.
"Because I love you," he inhales sharply. "And being without you is too hard."
"You're going to Johns Hopkins," I remind him. "You were going to be without me, anyway."
"No," he raises his eyebrows. "I'm not going."
"Wh-what?" My mouth drops open in surprise.
"My parents were using tuition to threaten me, so I dropped out. I'm not going to school in Maryland. I'm staying here."
I try processing what Cash is saying, but I don't understand. "Johns Hopkins has been your dream for years."
"No," he smiles. "It was my mom and dad's dream."
"You broke up with me," I huff. "You left me, and you left Wilder, too. You didn't even say goodbye to him."
"I know," Cash takes an unsteady step forward, his blue eyes bright like turquoise lake water. "I couldn't face Wilder, though. He would have seen right through me. He always does."
"He's your best friend," I defend Wilder. "He deserved a goodbye."
"I will make it up to him," Cash promises. "I need a place to stay, so I was kind of hoping I could crash with him."
"Why do you need a place to crash?" I furrow my brow as his fingers run along my arm.
"My parents kicked me out," Cash shrugs. "When I told them I wasn't going to Johns Hopkins, they told me to leave. You and Wilder have always been my real family. The only real family I've ever known. So, I thought I'd come here first to tell you how sorry I am for leaving you the way I did. Then, I'm going to apologize to Wilder."
My head hurts as I stare up at Cash. The boy who stole my first kiss. The boy I used to dream about a future with. The boy who left me when things got too hard.
"I'm not sure what you're expecting," I chew on the inside of my cheek, "but I'm not at a place where I see us getting back together."
Cash's face falls. "Why not?"
I briefly close my eyes. "Because I've had more fun this past summer than I did the four summers I spent with you."
"I—"
"I'm not trying to hurt you," I continue. "I just... I don't want to pretend to be someone I'm not anymore. And being with you, that's all I did."
"I know," he nods. "I know it's my fault. I shouldn't have... I should have done more to make you feel comfortable. I should have tried harder to show you how much I love you."
