AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I could recognize that now.
I’d always been too scared to let myself want it, but I did.
We rounded the side of the restaurant when a voice said, “Peyton.”
My body froze, the air stuck in my lungs as if I’d forgotten how to breathe. I turned slowly. “X-Xander… I don’t—”
Realization slammed into me. The empty chair. Jason acting strange as if he was expecting somebody else to join us.
“You’re late,” he said to Xander from somewhere behind me.
“I got caught up with something. I’m sorry I missed it.” His apologetic gaze settled on me, but I didn’t know what he was apologizing for.
I didn’t understand.
“You left,” I blurted, my thoughts too muddled. I thought I was dealing with everything. I thought the heartache, the emptiness I felt, was slowly healing. But now he was standing there, looking at me, looking so fucking good… and I was a mess.
My carefully erected walls came crashing down around me and I didn’t know what to do.
“Peyton,” he said again, taking a step toward me. “You look good.”
You look good.
A bitter laugh crawled up my throat. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I haven’t seen or heard from you in almost two months and that’s what you say to me?”
Guilt flashed in his eyes.
Good.
I wanted him to feel guilty. I wanted him to feel even a tenth of the heartache I’d felt every day since he uttered the words, ‘I can’t love you.’
“I don’t understand,” I said, needing to break the thick silence. “How are you even here?” Xander glanced at Jason, and I gaped back at him. “You invited him?”
“I saw him recently. I may have mentioned your graduation dinner.”
“I see.”
“Peyton, sweetheart,” Felicity inched closer. “Why don’t we—”
“The two of you should talk,” Jason said. “You’re welcome to come back to the house. We’ll give you some space.”
They would?
I didn’t understand what was happening.
Just when I finally thought I was getting somewhere, he was back.
Xander was back.
