Page 83 of Coastal Rewind

“I meant that you’re going to crush the poor guy when you leave again like you always do.”

“Maybe I won’t this time.”

“Fat fucking chance.”

“Fuck you, Owen.” I opened the car door and slammed it behind me. I wasn’t going to sit there while he threw more comments at me.

“Talk to her,” I heard Lottie hiss at my brother.

The car door opened as I whirled around and came face to face with my other half.

“What is your fucking problem? You have been throwing these comments around for weeks. You wanted this. You wanted me to stay. Now you have some stick up your ass about it?” My tone was harsh but I didn’t care anymore. Owen and I had never felt further apart, and the irony was that it was the closest in proximity we’d been in years.

“I wanted you to stay because you realized you belong in this family. I wanted you to stay because you realized I need you around. The only reason you’re debating staying now is because of him.” He pointed toward Mason’s house.

“I didn’t fit in before!” I shouted. “I was always different, Owen. I never fit in. Now I have something in common with everyone else and I’m happy. Why isn’t that good enough?”

“You did have something in common with them.”

I crossed my arms. “What did I have in common with anyone?”

“Me!” he shouted, tossing his arms to the side. “One heart, two souls, but I guess you forgot that.” His eyes took on a glassy sheen and I felt my body stiffen as he threw our words back at me.

“I didn’t forget.” My hands were shaking. I was too drunk to have this conversation.

“You did. You say you had nothing that could keep you here before. I was nothing to you. I wasn’t good enough. I understood why you left when you did, but I will never understand why you never came back for me. You still don’t even see it! You aren’t going to stay for me; you’re only staying for consistent dick and the chance at a life you’re buying your way into⁠—”

“That’s enough.”

I jumped at the harsh sound of Mason’s voice behind me.

Owen’s face was hard as the tears streamed down my face. I wrapped my arms around myself and looked down at my feet, unable to look into Owen’s eyes.

“I think you need to sleep it off, Kelly. You can talk about this in the morning.” Mason’s arm was around me then as he pulled me into his side but I didn’t melt like I usually did. The normal numb feeling started taking over me. The feeling I was accustomed to.

“Whatever. Have fun with your new family.” Owen got back into his car and sped off.

Mason moved in front of me and put his hands on my shoulders. “Ryleigh, baby, look at me.”

I shook my head. I didn’t want to look at him. I wanted to fade away into the darkness and never come back. Mason sighed and pulled me into his chest, which just made me cry harder.

After a minute, he guided me back into the house and to his room. I crawled into bed without saying a word.

The warm, excited feeling I had about coming home to him faded to the background as the intrusive thoughts came back.

This was why I never stuck around. It only hurt people. Everyone was better off when I wasn’t here disrupting their lives like the tornado that I was.

Mason and MJ were better off without me getting in the way. They deserved stability and I wasn’t sure I was capable of that.

And the worst part?

I wasn’t sure Owen and I would survive this. I had a feeling that whether I stayed in LA or left in September, our relationship would never be the same.

Rule #4: Don’t kill Owen. The bond you share is one of the most special bonds there is. Hold onto it, even as you grow old and take separate paths in life.

thirty-five

Mason