Page 98 of The Last Special Thing

“This is how we are going to leave things after all we have been through? Two years of us?” Weston’s words were pleading.

“You never even cared until you got jealous.” Amelia crossed her arms.

“I have always taken care of you- when you got drunk on graduation night, when you needed help getting into UCLA. Me! I’ve always protected you, and you’ve never appreciated me.”

“You went to my fucking parents! I trusted you, and you ruined everything. For what?”

Amelia understood his need to have her back was desperation cloaked in the guise of protection. But this would be the end of it. They would never be friends again. Her trust in him was destroyed.

She stopped talking; there was nothing new to say.

“You should go,” she said.

“That’s what you want?”

“That’s what I want.” She sighed. “Good luck in Cambridge.”

“Whatever, Amelia. Good luck to you. You’re going to need it more than me.”

He turned and stalked off toward his house.

She had broken his heart as he had once broken hers. Instead of vindication, it felt like an assassination.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Amelia stood on the stoop of Art and Max’s apartment and knocked, which she hadn’t done in months. It felt weirdly formal, but she wasn’t here to see her boyfriend.

Max opened the door and greeted her, “Amelia!” He pulled her into a big hug as if that were normal for them. “I’m sorry about everything. I’m such an idiot,” he said, releasing her.

“It’s not your fault.” She eyed Madisson behind them, who shrugged.

“Of course it is, I got drunk. I caused the whole situation to derail.”

“No, really, Max. It wasn’t your fault,” Amelia said. “Art was responsible for me. He got drunk and left me. Then he went out and did a bunch of coke.”

“I feel bad you’re even with him, if I didn’t bring him here...” Max ran a hand over his freshly shaved head.

Amelia had many reasons to dislike Max, but not one of them had to do with Art.

“These were all of my decisions. You can be sorry to Madisson for -”

“I am,” he cut off. “She knows I am.” He gazed at Madisson with remorseful eyes.

Madisson nodded in confirmation.

“Then that’s the only apology that matters to me.”

“Well, I’m going to take a walk and give you guys privacy,” Max said. He crossed to where Madisson was, gave her a quick kiss, then left the girls alone.

When the door shut, and he couldn’t hear, Amelia asked, “He seems different?”

“Yeah, we had a long talk. I won’t be here as much when I start school. He can’t be doing things like that. His decisions impact me.” Madisson rested her hand on her palm, her eyes weary.

Amelia took a seat cross-legged on the couch, facing Madisson.

“How are you feeling?” Madisson asked. She hadn’t pried when Amelia asked to tell her when Art was gone so that she could come over in person.

Amelia sighed. “Well, there are more layers now.”