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“Of course, you didn’t.” I cross my arms over my chest. “You could have told me. You didn’t have to lie or make up things you never felt. The only person you lied to is yourself.”
My gaze turns to Melissa. “You won. You got exactly what you always wanted. A two-timing QB that just got his ass kicked on the field. You did me a favor and made me realize how much of a liar he really is and that goes for you too, Gina. You are all a bunch of liars.” I take a step back toward Exie’s car. “You guys all deserve each other.”
“You are just mad that he dumped you for me.”
“Whatever you want to say to make yourself feel better.” I wave my hand with my palm facing up. “Go right ahead, Melissa. He is all yours.”
“Aura. Please don’t leave like this. Where are you staying? We can talk,” Marcus pleads.
“What are you saying, Marcus? Why would you need to talk to her? You told me it was over,” Melissa chimes in.
Exie places her hands on the hips of her jeans with a big fat grin plastered on her face, “Oh, you don’t know?”
“Know what?” Marcus asks.
Exie snickers. “Who she lives with? Whose parents are her guardians.”
A loud rumble of an engine is heard as the black sports car I ride to school each morning pulls up. Everyone’s attention is on the blacked-out window that lowers revealing a dangerously hot Kalum.
Kalum glances at me. “Are you okay?”
I nod, not knowing how to respond. He’s here making sure I’m okay. He doesn’t have to worry about me but the fact he took the time to make sure I’m okay means a lot to me right now.
“Make sure she gets home safe, Exie.”
Exie nods and Kalum glances at Marcus.
“Don’t worry about Aura, she’s well taken care of.”
“You motherfucker,” Marcus says, his voice laced with steel.
He pulls the window up, ignoring him and drives away the loud engine of the car coming out of the exhaust rumbling as he pulls out into the street.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Marcus grumbles. “You live with the St. Claire's?”
“Yep, she sleeps in the room next to his and he takes her to school every morning,” Exie says with a knowing smile. “Let’s go, Aura. We have somewhere to be.”
“Aura, wait,” Marcus pleads.
I’m confused as to why he wants to talk. Why now? There is nothing left to say. There is nothing left for me here. Funny how I thought I had everything and now nothing at all.
I slide inside the passenger side of Exie’s silver Lexus. He walks up to the car before I get to close the door.
“Whoa. Back off, cowboy.” Exie points to Melissa. “Your girl is over there. You clearly made your choice.”
I look up at Marcus as he is trying to lean inside the car. “We were together every day to never being with each other. It’s okay to forget me, Marcus. There is nothing left to say except goodbye and I wish you the best with Melissa. Now you two can be together. I’m not in the way anymore. It’s okay if you’re happy,” I say softly, closing the door like the cover of a hardback book finished with that part of my life watching him back up.
He flinches like I slapped him. Watching him from the window, his expression is laced with regret. Melissa tries to wrap her arms around him but he shrugs her off while Exie pulls out of the parking spot.
“You handled that with grace, Aura. If it was me, I would have torn her eyes out and then turned on him.”
“Doesn’t change what he did. He lied to me for two years and there is nothing that will make me forget that. He could have said he wanted to be friends with me from the beginning or when he felt I wasn’t what he wanted, he could have told me and I would have understood. I can never look at him the same way again. He tarnished everything. It was over before we even began. I was too naïve and didn’t see all the warning signs. My biggest flaw is that I only want to see the good in people and overlook the bad. Sometimes, people take advantage but it’s their loss because in the end, they don’t get you. Sooner or later, their true self appears.”
“I love that about you, Aura. You have this fresh outlook in life even when you have endured loss and pain.”
If she only knew that sometimes, just… sometimes. I wished I was in the car with them and not here. It’s something I have never said to anyone. The judge appointed a psychiatrist, but the doctor said I’m grieving but not in a way that I would try and hurt myself. You can never stop grieving the loss of the most important people in your life. That is the part they don’t tell you.
We arrive at Brian’s house and it’s not too far from Kalum’s house. There are cars parked lining up the street. It is dark outside, and people are milling about in their respective groups talking and shooting the shit.
