AllFreeNovel
Share Us
They’re falling apart.
Years of friendship now filled with nothing but hate, resentment, and animosity.
They’re crumbling, and I’m the guilty instrument that shattered their perfect union.
“Here’s the thing,” Logan starts, calm again, always the logical one of our foursome as he tries to be the voice of reason among all this madness. “Quaid came to us today with a proposal, and we turned him down. And instead of the jackass just licking his wounds and bruised ego like he should, he’s having a tantrum.”
“You know what? Fuck you, Logan!” Quaid spits out, his open palms slamming on the table.
My head is swarming with panic at the dense hostility in the room, my heart cut in two and sliced open with each brutal word they fling at each other. Where once the bonds of love and friendship ruled between them, only malice and spite breathe in them now.
I did this.
Me.
“What was your proposal?” I whisper, trying desperately to pretend that I’m not witnessing their brotherhood go up in flames.
Quaid’s eyes soften a little, but not enough to soothe my breaking heart.
“Logan is going off to Princeton in the fall, and Carter will be on his self-discovery to lord knows where. I’m going to Alabama. That’s close, Val. Close to your college in California and close to you. I should be the one who takes care of you.”
“Am I some wounded bird that needs to be taken care of? Is that how you all see me?”
“No, Princess. That’s not what I meant. I was just trying to make these guys see reason. I can give you what you need. They can’t.”
“For now. We can’t for now,” Logan retorts, sounding aggravated.
“And why should she have to wait for you two to get your shit together?” Quaid belts out.
“Because you’re not the only one she loves!”
Quaid thins his lips and crosses his arms once more over his chest at Logan’s statement.
“But she does love me, Logan. Even if that eats you up inside.”
I bite my lower lips so hard, I feel my teeth pierce through my flesh.
“So this is what you were up to while I was away, this morning, huh? Lining up my future. Making decisions for me that weren’t yours to make and destroying years of friendship as a result.”
“Our friendship was doomed the minute you moved to our street,” Carter states unrepentantly.
My shoulders begin to shake profusely at Carter’s truth—at their truth that I was too blind to see before.
“I can make my own decisions.”
“When were you ever going to make them, Val? We’ve known each other for six years, and throughout all that time, you haven’t been able to make up your mind. If we don’t do it for you, I don’t know who will.”
“That isn’t your choice to make, Carter. It’s mine!”
“Okay, then do it. Choose!”
I stare at all three of their faces and can’t. Carter’s right. I never could.
“What’s happening to us?”
“The inevitable,” Carter mutters.
My eyes start to burn, and it takes everything in me not to cry in front of them.
