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He’s dressed in his nice suit, as usual, and looks perfectly normal.
“Allie,” he drawls like we’re in some sort of country western film from the 1970s.
Maybe I’m just used to Lucas’ relaxed demeanor, but there’s something different in Ted now. Maybe it was always there and I just never noticed.
He comes up to me and kisses my cheek before I can stop him. “What’s all this?” He focuses on the flowers with a deep frown.
“They’re from Lucas.” I don’t even care. I don’t care about the way his eye twitches at the mention of Lucas.
“What’s he congratulating you for?”
I am definitely not sharing that right now. It’s not like he ever tried to get anything like this out of me. He only ever wanted to have sex and have me move in with him. He never forced anything, thankfully, but still.
“Finishing my summer class.”
He flicks at the petals of one of the roses and sighs. “Listen, we both have done some shitty things to one another this summer, Allie.” His hands travel up my arms and fingers wrap around me while he gently pulls me closer to him. I have always loved his cologne, but now it stings my nostrils and throat. “You did what you did with him and I did what I did.”
“You mean when you left me stranded? I’m over it.”
“Good,” he says, but I sense something else he’s not telling me. “Then I forgive you for what you did with Lucas.” He lets one of my arms go and reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small black velvet box. “I was trying to give you this on your birthday, but you were so distracted that you didn’t see what I was trying to do. It’s fine, though. You can have it now.”
He puts the box in my shaking hand and my stomach churns. My sandpaper throat keeps me from forming a full sentence. He wouldn’t do this. Not this way. It’s not even in the form of an ask now. More like it’s expected. “Ted… no.”
“No, you need to see it first.” He opens the box and I am face-to-face with a ring. That’s an understatement for this thing. It’s bigger than my wide eyes.
“How… how did you…” This thing must have cost a fortune.
“Afford it? It’s called savings, Allie.”
Yeah, but that’s… this is… it’s way too nice. And this is not okay.
I snap the box shut, unease ripping me apart inside. Something isn’t right. “No, Ted.”
He doesn’t accept it when I try to hand it back, so I put it back in his pocket. He’s angry and I understand.
But so am I. All of this is a jumbled mess with feelings and emotions that I can’t make this sort of commitment this way.
“I don’t know if it’s Lucas or not, but I think we both know something has been missing here all along. Maybe if things started sooner or if circumstances were different—”
“You’re seriously choosing him over me? We’ve known each other our entire lives, Allie.”
“That’s the thing, Ted. You’ve always had me, yet all you ever wanted were other girls. You have always chosen others over me.” I don’t mean to sound sohigh school, but it’s important right now. “If you wanted me, you could have asked me to your prom. You could have taken me out on dates instead of every other girl in school. I mean, come on, Ted, you had to know all along. I’m not exactly good at hiding things. What changed for you?”
His jawline strains and I can’t believe what I’m doing. I never thought this was going to happen. When his nostrils flare and face darkens, I try to step back, but he grabs me by the arms with a tight grip.
An entire lifetime of a crush is disappearing. But that’s just it. It was a crush and never really turned into anything else.
He leans in close to my ear, his hot breath and rage almost burn me. When did he stop being Ted and turn into this guy? “You honestly think he’s going to leave her for you? Whatever this is,” he nods at the flowers and balloons on my desk dismissively. “It’s not real, Allie. Her dad is loaded. Lucas just has to pop the question, and he’s set for life. She’s a perfect fucking ten, Allie, and what are you? The prude next door with a gullible streak.”
“Listen, I know you’re angry—”
“I’m not angry, Allie. I’m disappointed that you would be so stupid. You’re throwing this away for a guy that will never leave her. Whether he’s made some sort of promise or you just think you’ll get your happy little family in the end, it’s all going to turn out the same. You’ll end up alone, and probably with another one of his bastards to take care of while he’s off doing whatever he wants with her.”
His words cut deep and they hurt. Has he always thought that about Jadon? “How dare you call Jadon that. You sat there in the hospital with me while he was struggling for his life. You’ve been there for everything, Ted.”
His lips wrinkle together, and he doesn’t say anything.
“You didn’t just abandon me, Ted. You’re the one that always wanted to be part of his life and you just left him, too, without a care in the world.”
