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Seeing his blond hair blowing in the light breeze, revealing his soft blue eyes stirs a cauldron of emotions within me that I thought I’d sealed up long ago. Jake may be a cheat, but he’s always had a way of affecting me physically with a single glance, and tonight is no different.
“I need to talk to you. Do you have a minute?” he asks, his words soft.
I open my door, and step out. “Look, I’ve had a pretty rough day. I don’t think we have anything to say to each other.”
“I have plenty to say, Victoria.”
I slam my door shut, and whirl around to face him. Does he honestly believe I give a shit what he has to say? “I told you not to call me that.”
His eyebrows raise, and he grins. “Why? That’s your name.”
“Fuck off, Jake. I have nothing to say to you.”
As I shoulder by him, he catches my arm and grips me firmly. I smell alcohol on his breath, and I’m suddenly worried about his state of mind. He must notice my expression, because he loosens his grip and sighs. “Please, Tori. Just give me a minute.”
Pulling away from his grip, I say, “One minute. Say what you came to say, Jake.”
“I want to say I’m sorry. You were an amazing girlfriend, and I messed up big. I came here because I realized the other day that I never apologized. So, I’m sorry. I hope you’ll accept my apology for my behavior and how I treated you afterward.”
My jaw drops, and I’m sure it hits the floor. After everything that happened, Jake has never apologized. It’s too little, and far too late now.
“I accept your apology.” That's all I can say. I wait for him to leave so I can go inside.
“There’s another reason I came here. I made a huge mistake, but I want you back. When I saw you the other night, I knew I had to fix what I’d broken and get you back.”
What?
My eyes feel like they're bulging out of my head, as I step toward him. “Jake, where is this coming from? What happened to the brunette you were all over at the club?”
His head hangs, abashed. “She was just passing time. I don’t love her. I love you, Victo…Tori.”
Just how much did he drink tonight? “I don’t know what to say. It’s too late for us. I accept your apology, but I’ve moved on, Jake. I’m not in love with you anymore.”
“I understand.” He seems disappointed and keeps his head down. When he looks up, the gleam in his eyes says he’s not convinced. “Then I’ll just have to work on making you love me again. I will get you back. Goodnight, Tori.” He walks away and gets into his car.
I stare after him, dumbfounded and utterly confused. A month ago, my ex wanted nothing to do with me, Brady was far away, Harrison didn’t exist, and Tug was just Liv’s obnoxious little brother. Where is the rewind button? As much as my life was dull and monotonous back then, I preferred that to the crazy train I’m currently riding on.
I hurry inside, grab a bottle of water from the kitchen, and slowly climb the stairs, putting off the inevitable task of facing Liv for as long as possible. Liv is lying on her bed with her headphones on, wearing pajamas. She removes the headphones and taps a spot next to her on the bed.
Emotion envelops me in a wave, and I begin sobbing hysterically as I climb on the bed next to her. She folds her arms around me and doesn’t speak until my sobs subside.
Finally she hands me a tissue. “Brady said to give this to you. Looks like you need it. Did he find you?”
I nod, and cry harder as I hold the tissue in my hand and wipe my face with her blanket. She laughs and shakes her head. “Did he tell you how he feels about you?” she asks, worry in her voice.
I shake my head. “He didn’t get the chance. I was with Tug and…oh, Liv. Tug kissed me. Or I kissed Tug.”
“Let me guess,” she says, watching me closely. I wait. “Brady showed up just in time to see it.”
I nod.
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know, Liv. I’m confused.” I hang my head in my hands and cry some more.
“Oh no, you have feelings for both of them, don’t you?”
I look up at her and nod weakly. “I’m not sure what I feel. With Brady everything is so intense, but I never feel like I have both feet on the ground. I’m never sure of where his head’s at. With Tug, things are calm, and I feel grounded.”
