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“I’m not answering that question.”
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he snorts. “Well, good for you, but just remember why you got involved with her in the first place. Your plan was to make her want you, make her think you were falling in love with her, and then break her fucking heart. You wanted to make her pay for what she did to you, and then you wanted to get on with your life and forget all about her. Am I right or wrong? Because I clearly remember you saying those exact words to me.”
I hear the quick intake of air, a gasp.
But the sound doesn’t come from the phone. It comes from somewhere behind me and my heart sinks like a boulder straight to the pit of my stomach.
I spin around and find Brinley taking small steps away from me, inching toward the house, shaking her head.
Shit.She heard.
I hang up on Quinn and step toward her, reaching for her. But Brinley yanks her arm away. Her entire body starts to tremble and congratulations to me, because I just somehow made the worst day of her entire life, even worse.
“Tink, please…”
“Shut up!” she shouts, throwing the words I’ve used on her multiple times, straight back in my face. “I can’t believe I let this happen,” she chokes out. “I can’t believe I let my guard down with you. I can’t believe I let you into my heart. And into my body. You should be ashamed of yourself, you sick mother fucker!”
“No, Brin. Stop –” I try reaching for her again, but she stumbles backward, pulling away from me in every sense of the word. “What we have isn’t sick. What we have is –”
“A fucking lie,” she shouts, throwing her arms out at her sides. “A game to you. A façade.”
“No.”
“Is that all I ever was to you, a conquest to get your own way? Even when we were having sex? You’re disgusting, Reed!”
I hang my head. She’s right.
But not about everything.
“It started out like that, yes,” I admit, horrified that this is happening. “And I’m not proud of myself for that. But my feelings for you are real, Brinley. Every fucking one of them. I’ve fallen hard for you. And the thought of losing you absolutely terrifies me.”
“Well, you better get used to it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You need to leave, Reed.”
“What, no –”
“Tonight. Now.”
“Can we please just talk? Let me explain myself.”
“Fuck off.”
“I never meant for any of this to happen. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“But you did!” she yells and her voice carries clear out across the fields. “You did hurt me, Reed! Do you get that?”
The screen door opens behind us and her father steps outside, hands on his hips as he watches on from the doorway. I hate myself right now, more than I ever have before. I don’t know how to make her listen, make her understand. It feels like I’m losing her. Or maybe I’ve already lost her.
“Brin, please,” I beg.
“Next time, I’ll be sure to fall in love with someone who wants me as much as I want them. Next time, I won’t be swayed by some smooth-talking, egotistical rock star from the city.”
“There will be no next time. This is it.Us.”
She fucking laughs, fueled by hurt and more tears.
