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Nate scoffs. “Don’t act like you’re trying to spare me from something.”
“I’m not! I’m saying, don’t you care enough to not go after her after everything she put me through?” So what if my heart still burns for her? So what if she asked, I’d run back into her arms? “I left New York because of her. She–”
“Mason, I’m not totally sure that your history with her matters anymore.”
It’s not just the room that is silent as a morgue. But the whole world. Everything comes down to a singular pinpoint of light, a shaft encompassing me and the man I thought was my best friend.
“You don’t…You don’t care that she ripped my heart out?”
“No, I do. I just don’t know if that’s all there is to the story.”
I start laughing. It’s a painful laugh, one that could make me descend into madness. “You’re kidding, right? You must be kidding. He’s kidding.” I look to Seth and Jack, but their jaws are close to touching the floor.
And Nate’s eyes remain cold.
I stand up, unable to sit still anymore. “What the hell has ever given you the idea that I did something to hurt Laney?!”
“I don’t think you’re a bad guy, Mase, that’s not what this is about.”
“You’re accusing me of–”
“I didn’t accuse you of anything.”
I take a few measured breaths.
Nate pushes himself up from the couch too. “I should go.”
Seth laughs, attempting to change the mood. “Nate, guys’ night just started.” His nervous eyes scan us. “Surely, we can work this out and–”
Nate grabs his arm crutches. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve got the driver tonight. I’ll be fine.”
I fume as Nate takes each measured step, the crutches thumbing against the wooden floor with every single step.
Before he can pass me, I grab the metal pole of his crutch and look up at him.
Nate casts his eyes down at me. Like I’m gum on the bottom of his shoe.
“Nate…” I try to speak with authority, but I am strangled by my despicable patheticness. “I still love her.”
His eyes soften. “I know.”
And what goes unsaid breaks my heart into a million pieces.I know, and I don’t care.
I release the crutch and fall down to my seat, dropping my head between my knees, grabbing at my hair.
How did it come to this? How have I gone from losing Laney to losing Nate too? My best friend since we were in fucking diapers…
And what makes it worse is I know I can’t be mad. Because I’d choose her too. Over Nate. Every time. We’re different sides of the same coin. I had her first. That should count for something.
But Nate is new and sparkly. More interesting.
Why would she go back to me when, in her mind, I caused her so much pain?
The cadence of his footsteps and the crutches feels like a knife twisting over and over in my back.
When the door slides closed, I grip my hands into two fists, ready for a fight. But there’s no fight to be had. It’s over. Because Nate will have Laney alone for two weeks.
I have no doubt that will be enough for her to fall for him.
