AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Two full hours that allowed the feelings of loneliness and longing that I knew all too well to build back up inside me.
And I know a lot of the guys didn’t end up showing up at Bullfrogs tonight, but some of them did. TJ did. Smitty did. Campbell did. And if he really wanted to, wouldn't he have shown up too?
As I laid there in my dark bedroom, I fought those inner thoughts that said I was never good enough to be chosen by him anyway, and that he was just having fun with me because he could, not because he truly thought all those things he said back in Max and Paige’s bathroom.
I tried to replay that whole conversation back in my head. Was it just me who had been vulnerable? Had I steered the conversation too much? Had I forced it? Had I over romanticized the whole thing?
And it hurt…
To know that he hurt me again…
To know thatI let himhurt me again…
Tears stung the back of my eyes, and this time, I let myself cry. I didn’t want to cry anymore tears over stupid Duke Callahan and his stupid perfect biceps and warm hugs and swoopy hair and charming smile. But everything I’d ever wanted felt so close, but I still couldn't have it for some reason.
It felt like a sick joke.
Damnit, and that’s where my brain went next—was he just trying to win a bet or something by flirting with me? By making out with me?
My phone buzzed and I immediately grabbed it up… just to see that it was a stupid email.
And that just made me mad.
The last time he left me hanging, I was just a teenager who could barely drive. How could I have made him answer for hurting me when he was multiple states away?
But this time? Shoot. This time he was messing with the wrong woman.
I shook my head. There would be no more crying.
I swallowed back my tears and instead of sleeping and hoping for a reply that would probably never come, I laid there brainstorming how I could absolutely crush Duke Callahan’s heart the way he crushed mine.
And in the morning, I’d take action…
_______
The next morning, I pep-talked myself to keep moving forward instead of turning around like a chicken shit.
He hurt me. I hurt him back,I repeated to myself.
This had been going on between the two of us ever since we were seven years old.
So, he may have won this battle… but I’d win the war.
And he’d rue thisfucking day for making me feel so stupid.
My hands tightened on the wheel of my car, trying to harness all my frustration. I breathed through my nose slowly and evenly because there’s no way I was going to let myself cry. No fucking way. Claire Kessel didn’t cry over anyone– especially not a stupid boy.
But… a little part of me, the little girl inside, wanted to wallow in my self-pity. Because this was Duke… who I’d been secretly in love with my whole life… and he… He made me get all dressed up last night. I actually spent time on my hair, I actually asked my sister for help on what to wear, and I actually put on fuckinghigh heelsandlip gloss.
And the worst thing he did?
He made me excited.
Just so he could fucking–
“Claire!”
I slammed on the breaks, noticing the red light at the last second.
