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I lose myself in the task, not realizing a couple of hours have passed. It’s Saturday, so I don’t have any lessons or plans for today. I usually catch up on my repair work.
The door jingles in the background, and I call, “Back here.”
A moment later, Addi stands in the doorway, her entire presence lighting up the room. It could be the summer glow she brought in from outside with her or just her mere existence, I don’t know, but it draws me toward her. I fight back the urge to walk over and instead wave her in.
God, do I want to be mad at her. I want to be so fucking mad at her.
For believing I could be a killer. For not standing up for me. For being with Finn.
But I can’t. Who could blame her for reacting as she did?
“Sorry to interuppt you, but is now a good time to talk?” She bites her lip and shifts nervously on her feet.
Be cool. Don’t say anything mean or stupid.
“Yeah. Glad you finally came in.” I just had to.
“What did you want to talk about?”
I want to tell her everything—tell her about Liz, about Finn, about it all—but something stops me. She looks so angry, like she won’t believe one word I say, and a part of me wants to scream fuck you. Who is she to judge?
Wouldn’t I judge, though? I probably would.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea if we continue this.” The words come out before I can stop them. Like word vomit, pouring out uncontrollably. We should be talking and working things out, right?
Her eyes darken, her mood shifting. “Continue what? Working together? Or fucking?”
I stand and move closer to her. She takes a step back. “All of it. I think it’s all a bit much—”
“A bit much, huh? Or maybe it wasn’t enough?”
“Not enough? What do you mean?”
“Never mind, Cole. It was always about what you wanted. How you wanted the shop to run, when you wanted to have sex, when you said it was a good idea to go on a date. It never mattered what I wanted, did it?”
I blink and try to understand what she’s saying. “You sold paintings, didn’t you?”
A few tears drop down Addi’s face. “That’s not the point.”
“What’s the point, Addi? Tell me, what’s the point of any of this? We agreed to work together and have casual sex.”
“Which I thought we were. Now things aren’t working out?”
“No, apparently they’re not.”
“Fuck you, Cole. It was always just about sex, wasn’t it? Or was it getting ahead in your business?”
“Wasn’t it for you?”
“I thought … I thought maybe something changed.”
I scoff. “Nothing’s changed.”
She chokes back a sob. “Fuck you. You’re just like that scumbag stepbrother of yours.”
With that, she’s gone, taking my heart with her, her words burning like acid in my stomach.
* * *
