AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Do you want to go to the beach?” Dylan asked after school. Hannah had to stay. She had practice.
“I don’t feel like driving for two hours just to spend one on the beach,” I refused.
“I could drive. You will look out the window and think about that thing.”
“What thing?” I frowned.
“I have no idea. The thing that has you so worked up.”
I thought about my options. Going home to spend the rest of the day so close to Lucas? Or going to the beach and maybe sketch a little.
“Okay, but no talking. I’m not in the mood.”
“Sure. No talking,” his smile was kind, but there was curiosity in his eyes. I hoped he would keep his promise and not try to question me.
He drove us to the beach in total silence. I felt emotionally exhausted. The moment my bare feet touched the sand, all I wanted to do was just lay down. So I did.
I felt Dylan sitting next to me for a long time. My eyes were shut. I had no idea what time it was. I was just breathing and listening to the waves.
“Your hair is full of sand,” he said at some point. I didn’t answer. I didn’t even try to come up with something to say to that. “You’re a fascinating creature,” he continued and sounded baffled.
“No talking,” I reminded him. “Don’t forget we’re with my car. I could just leave you here.”
“You wouldn’t do that. Seems like you keep your needs for inflicting pain exclusively for Lucas Cole.”
I shot up straight and heard the sound of sand falling off of me.
“Why would you say that?”
“I’ve been here for five months now and he spent most of the time in your personal purgatory. I thought you were together after New Year’s but lately he’s been even more…,” he tried to find the right word.
“Miserable?” I supplied.
“Wrecked.”
Wrecked. I wrecked him. And he didn’t even know the whole story yet.
“I’m about to make it worse, you know.”
I felt the need to talk about it. Dylan cocked his head sideways exploring my face. I told him about Duncan and London. About me knowing Lucas and I were over from the very beginning, but leaving him clueless.
“That’s insane,” he was focusing his gaze on the ocean. I couldn’t bear to look at it. It had the same color as Lucas’s eyes. So I looked at Dylan’s face. He was concentrated. Like he was trying to solve a puzzle. Then he turned to face me. His smile sent goosebumps all over my body. “Thank you for sharing.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Lucas
I tried my best to give Clem the space I promised her. Most of the time it felt like a knife was cutting me inside my body, but I knew cornering her was going to do more damage. And I was not going to accept damage. I wanted a different outcome. I wanted her.
Her hanging out with Dylan instead of me was painful, but I knew it wasn’t about him. It was about avoiding me. So, I kept my jealousy under control.
My mother was trying to talk with me, but I ignored her. I needed to talktoClementine, not about her.
One day I was particularly impatient, and I texted Hannah. I preferred to humiliate myself in front of her than not keep my promise to Clem. I wanted her to feel my word was something she could count on. Not something that depended on my mood.
Hannah: Her mother is giving her hard time.
Hannah: And they’re having a family dinner or something like that on the weekend, so…
