AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I laugh. “You don’t have to do this for me.”
“I want to.” He smiles. “I’ve been thinking about going sometime myself and now is just as good a time as any.”
“But I didn’t buy the tickets, Isaac did.” My stomach knots.
“Fuck Isaac. It was a gift and he owes you this much for all the shit he’s pulled.”
“I can always buy a new one to ensure there are no issues.”
“Only if you’re doing it for you.” He leans in closer. “Either way, we’re going and we are going to have the best time. No worrying about where Isaac is or even mentioning his name.”
Throwing my arms around him, I hug his neck. “Thanks, K.”
“Anytime.”
He walks to his car and I walk inside my house to freshen up. I don’t want to look like I was crying when I show up at Isaac’s. I don’t want him to see how hurt I am. If he didn’t want to be with me, he should have said so. Then I could have stopped trying too. As I’m walking back outside, my phone buzzes again and it’s an unread message from Finn. I didn’t want to check my phone before because I wasn’t ready to talk to anyone. It was hard enough to face Kevin as it is.
I read over Finn’s message repeatedly until my eyes ache. I go back and forth between wanting to reply and waiting to respond tomorrow. What do I say to him? That he was right about Isaac? Everyone was and I didn’t want to see it. I came close to doing what he did to me, didn’t I? What if I’d ended up kissing Finn and hadn’t stopped it on my own?
If I really think about it, my relationship with Isaac was over before today. I kept clinging on to hope we could make it work. I don’t know why. We weren’t right for each other.
“You aren’t right for anyone,”Austin’s voice appears in my head, blending with mine.
I shut my eyes and open them again before getting in the car.
I am. I will be. Just not Isaac.
I use my wipers to clear my windshield from the small amount of recent falling snow. I drive in complete silence trying to work out what I’m going to say, knowing damn well my words never come out as I plan them to. It’s really no use but it makes me feel better anyway. I pull up to Isaac’s apartment complex and get out of my car, bringing his broken phone with me. It isn’t until the fourth knock that he pulls open the door.
“Hey, babe. You’re here sooner than I expected.”
I cringe at the endearment, knowing he more than likely used it with someone else recently. “Am I interrupting something?” I glance around him.
He lifts a brow. “No. Not at all. Come on in.”
I do as he suggests, closing the door behind me.
“You got my phone?” he says, tugging at my jacket to help me take it off.
“No.” I gently push his hand away. “I’m not staying. I saw the photos and messages. Of the young, little twinky blond.” He was nothing like me. Not a single gray strand of hair on his head. No wrinkles or crow’s feet around his eyes. He was also more muscular in places I wasn’t. Of course Isaac has been choosing to see him over me.
His brows furrow together. “You were looking through my phone?”
“I wasn’t trying to. It kept going off in my pocket and my friend Kevin told me I should look in case someone needed to reach you.”
“Oh, so it was Kevin and not your own insecurities?”
Anger rushes through me. “What?”
“Oh come off it, Theo. You’ve always been paranoid. Constantly asking me if we’re okay when knowing we weren’t, and it’s because of you.”
“Me?” I press a hand to my chest. “Are you saying it’s my fault you cheated?”
“You’re always so closed off and not wanting to do things normal people do. Not to mention you’re boring and never in the mood to do anything fun unless it involves you dressing up in some weird ass costume.”
My blood boils. “You know what, Isaac? Screw you.” How dare he call my bird space a costume. It’s not. Far from it. At times I want to be Theo while at others, I need to be another version of myself that allows me to not have to worry so much. A less demanding headspace where I can unwind and feel free of all my daunting responsibilities for a little while.
“I don’t need you anymore. Not when I have Jesse.” His smile is wicked.
