Page 95 of Shattered Dreams

“No. I’m just here to remind you that you have a friend. And that it’s okay to be hurt. But you can’t just give up on shit when it gets difficult.”

I twist my lips and look away.

“I’m not—”

“Does he know?”

I scoff. “Know what?”

“That you love him?”

I shake my head.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does,” she says.

Maybe it’s the drinking, or maybe it’s just that I’m falling apart, but when the word escapes my throat, I can’t take it back.

“No.”

Silence firms between us.

“I see,” she says softly as she gets up. “You can stay here until morning, but you’re going to need to figure something out.”

I look up at her with sad eyes.

“I know,” I say, my throat tight. “Thank you.”

Amelia offers me a blanket.

“For the record, you have always been good enough for everyone else,” she says smoothly.

“You just need to be honest with yourself and what you want, instead of trying to be what you think we want.”

She pulls the blanket over me, and I can’t help the tears that fall down my cheeks.

The lights dim and it goes silent, save for the sound of my breathing and my beating heart.

And only when I have no more tears to cry do I finally fall asleep, dreaming about things I’ll never have again.

Because if I’m being honest with myself, why the fuck wound Dre ever choose me? Especially now, when I’ve proven to him that I really am a failure.

Because a good friend would never be this selfish.

A good boyfriend would be supportive and honest.

Tell their boyfriend they love them.

And the last thought I have before slumber takes me is that I should have told him when I had the chance.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Andre

I haven’t heard from Paul in days. Maybe it’s been a week; I don’t know at this point. Everything is a blur. It’s a miracle I’m able to get myself and Rylee up in the morning and to school on time.

She’s upset, of course, not at all understanding what’s going on, and I don’t know what to tell her. I can’t tell her that Paul left because I accepted a job across the country.