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His unsolicited opinion does nothing but fuel my irritation. What doesn’t he get? Chance could spend every day of his life saving puppies from burning buildings, and I still wouldn’t want him anywhere near Dia.
I keep my eyes straight ahead of me. “What part of mind your business isn’t registering?”
Theo and I haven’t talked in over a year. It’s a shame. We used to be tight—the guy lived in my house on and off all throughout high school—but after I left Silver Springs, we drifted apart. And it’s not for my lack of trying. I tried to reach out more than once, but I never heard back. Xavier said Theo went through a lot of crap in his relationship with Aveena’s sister after graduation, and he was depressed for most of last semester.
Either way, we’re not close anymore. I don’t need him getting all up in my business when he doesn’t know half the story, and I sure as hell don’t need him to tell me how much of a great guy Chance is.
He doesn’t know that I’ve spent the last 365 days working to become a better person myself. And I’m not saying that I’m perfect, but I’m definitely less horrible than I was before.
Although I’m not sure the guy I am now is the guy Dia wants. I did everything I could to be worthy of her. Well, the version of her I remembered. Until I came back, and I realized that this girl doesn’t exist anymore. Dia’s different now. She dresses differently, for one. She also doesn’t smile nearly as much as she used to, and when she does smile, it doesn’t feel genuine. There’s constant sadness in the backs of her eyes, and it kills me to think I put it there.
Chance draws Dia in for a kiss, and she smiles, losing her fingers in his hair and pushing to the tips of her toes to kiss him back.
“You have to admit she looks happy,” Theo says, his comment making me feel like my body’s covered in wounds and Theo’s twisting a knife into each and every one of them.
I can’t fucking watch this.
I’m about to push off the couch, but Xavier and Aveena turning the corner keep me in place.
“What are you two talking about?” Aveena asks, and Xavier takes a seat on the couch, pulling her with him. He guides his baby mama onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist in a protective manner.
I still can’t believe Xavier’s going to be a father. Not so long ago, we were two shitheads playing basketball in his backyard, daydreaming about going pro. Now, he’s playing ball at Duke, and in nine months, he’s going to be responsible for a whole new person.
As for me, I’m point-blank clueless about what I want to do for a living, but my future is kissing another guy right now, and I don’t know how much longer I can keep myself in check.
Dia grabs Chance’s hand as soon as the song ends, dragging him off the dance floor. Her face lights up with a small smile the moment she sees Aveena and Xavier on the couch. She makes a beeline for us, her smile disintegrating as soon as she notices me, and it feels like someone just struck an entire box of matches inside my throat.
She really hates me, doesn’t she?
Next thing I know, Chance’s sitting in the armchair across the couch and gesturing for Dia to sit on his lap. She hesitates for a while and decides to sit on the armrest instead. Chance doesn’t insist, but I can tell he’s a bit thrown off. She totally blew him off.
Why does that make me so happy?
The conversation picks up, and less than five minutes pass before Theo rises off the couch.
“I’m going to get another drink. You guys want anything?” he offers.
Xavier asks for a beer, and Aveena puts in an order for a glass of water. Dia and Chance decline, which only leaves me.
Theo arches an eyebrow. “Richards, what about you?”
I notice Chance’s features change at the mention of my last name. Shocked is how I would describe his expression, but there’s also a trace of anger on his face. What the fuck is his deal?
“Richards?” Theo insists.
“I’m good.”
Theo lets out a scoff. “Finn Richards says no to a drink. Someone check him for a fever.”
Right.
He doesn’t know.
None of them do.
I make eye contact with Xavier for a fleeting moment. He’s the only person I told about my new lifestyle.
“What am I missing?” Theo urges.
