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You don’t deserve any of this, Laney.
I start to go limp.
You broke Mason’s heart. You’ll break it again.
I can’t kiss back.
And you’ll break Nate too.
I start to curl away.
Better now than later.
I want to throw up.
Rip off the band aid.
“Stop…” I push Nate off. “Stop it…” I crawl away, tucking myself into a ball. “I was just kissing Mason.”
“That’s okay.”
“It’swrong.”
Nate starts to come close to me, but I make a noise like a feral animal. I don’t think I’ve ever made a noise like it before.
“You need to rest.”
I turn my face the other way. “You need to go.”
“I’m not leaving you here.”
“Please…” Leave me here. To fall into this pool of grief.
Nate huffs, “Goddammit, Laney, I can’t.”
I lift my wet eyes.
Nate’s anger is apparent on his face.
“You think I can just walk away from you when I…when I care for you? Fuck, no.”
Nate gets to his feet and stands over me.
“Please, don’t,” I whimper.
He doesn’t listen. He sweeps me up in his arms as if it’s the easiest thing in the world when I know it’s not.
“You shouldn’t–”
“Don’t fucking tell me what I should do.”
I shut up then, curling my arms around his neck, placing my face into his collarbone.
He smells so good. Wearing a cologne he’s only put on for family dinners or fancy occasions.
Nate carries me through the apartment. “You think I’ll just let you push me away like that? Think again.”
I cling to him until we make it to my bedroom.
