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Don’t lose me.
I grip the handle and begin to rotate—
“Wait,” Xavier blurts at the last second.
I spin, pain throbbing in me like a drumbeat.
“Give me one good reason why I should,” I plead.
I’m hanging on to him… to us by a thread at this point.
Then he says it.
“Because I love you.”
That’s all it takes for my walls to hit the ground.
I heard the words, but they don’t register.
“You… what?”
“You heard me.” He closes in on me. “I love you. I’ve loved you since the day I barbecued your babies and pushed you down the jungle gym just so I could kiss you.” He pauses, pain lacing his voice. “I fucking love you, Vee… And I’m paying for it.”
His speech pulverizes what’s left of my armor. Tears batter down my face, my throat aching beyond belief.
“But you… you said you hated me.”
“I didn’t mean it,” he blurts. “Not for a fucking second. I thought you’d get it. I thought…”
“I’m sorry, is there a better way to interpret I hate you that I don’t know of?” I snap.
“Remember what I said to you on senior prank night?”
His question sears the memories into my brain. We were stuck in the Chem lab together at 3:00 a.m. I told him I hated him, and Xav argued girls only said “I hate you” to the guys they liked.
“So, what? I hate you means I love you now, is that it?”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“So, according to your theory, I just told you I loved you?”
“Sure did. You see, whenever you tell me I hate you from now on, it’ll mean the opposite.”
Holy shit.
Of course.
How could I miss this?
“Still doesn’t explain why you did it,” I accuse.
“I didn’t know what else to fucking do, Vee, I… Brie was watching my every move. It was the only way I could think of to get you the message.”
“Brie?” I arch an eyebrow. “What the fuck does shehave to do with anything?”
Realization sucks me into a vortex of shock.
I gasp. “Oh my God… is she—”
