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Do I pretend none of it happened?

Do I ask if he’s okay? Or does that open a door I’ve spent four years trying to keep shut?

Before I can decide, I glance at the time and swear quietly under my breath.

I need to go pick up Theo from my parents.

So I do what I’ve gotten very good at doing with Simon over the years.

I shove it aside.

Sweep it neatly under the rug and pretend it isn’t there, even while my heart pounds stupidly hard in my chest at the memory of his voice saying sweet girl like no time had passed at all.

Instead, I open Johnathon’s text thread again.

Johnathon

I had a really great time last night. Hope everything ended up okay with your son’s father. I would love to see you again soon.

I had a really great time too. Sorry again for having to run out. I’ll look at my schedule and let you know when I’m free again.

I hit send before I can overthink it.

Then I lock my phone and force myself out of bed.

Chapter nine

Simon

Every muscle in my body is screaming at me to stop, but instead I crank the treadmill speed up another level. I push through the river of sweat running down my back and the screaming in my lungs. I can’t outrun the emotional pain, but I can cover it up for now.

Veronica and I have been fighting basically nonstop since Friday night. Even now my phone keeps vibrating against the cupholder beside the treadmill, lighting up every couple minutes with another text from her. We spent almost the entire weekend together trying to “talk through things,” which mostly meant me sitting through hours of conversations about feelings until I was convinced I’d permanently lost the ability to experience any emotion at all.

Apparently calling your ex to pick you up while drunk is frowned upon in relationships.

Who knew?

I barely even got a chance to talk to Blaire yesterday. Just a quick handoff call before she passed the phone to Theo, and like a coward, I acted like I was too drunk to remember anything that happened Friday night.

Which was bullshit.

I remember calling her sweet girl, I remember asking her to come get me, and I remember looking at her in that parking lot and wanting to say every single thing I should’ve said years ago.

Things between us were already awkward. I definitely made it worse.

"You're gonna blow a knee out."

I glance over.

Maddox is starting up the treadmill beside me.

"Fuck off." I grunt, bumping up the incline.

He snorts. “How bad is it?”

"She's pissed."

"Understandable."