"That's fine." She lifts her shoulder dismissively like the brat she is. Her tone clips in frustration, as if I’m pushing her away because she doesn’t know how to have sex or something. Like that’d even matter to me. "It'll either be you or someone else. I'm seeing a guy at school and—"
"Who?" I growl out because I didn’t want to think about her moving on or being with someone since I was exiled to the Marines right now.
"A guy in my English class."
I roll my eyes because she’ll get bored in a week. "What, someone that reads as much as you? I’m sure he’ll keep you throughly entertained.”
"Yeah, actually...he does."
Motherfucker.
"Laynee, don't fuck with me." I can feel my blood boil inside my veins so hot that I can’t take it. The sheer craze of someone touching her intimately after she just told me she was a virgin, driving her insane…caressing or brushing any piece of her.
"I'm not," she retorts matter-of-factly, driving in the point that boys in college aren’t boys in high school. Some are older, more experienced, they’ll take what they want. Unlike me. “His name is Troy.”
Let her go. Let her go, so she can move on with her life. You don't need to destroy it.
"That's a dumbass name," I quip because I’ve got nothing else to say. My heart refuses to allow her any leeway to move on without me, even though I know that it's wrong and totally fucked up.
But it has to.
"Yeah, well, he didn't pick it."
"So, you're saying that if I don't fuck you now, he will?” I ball my hands into fists because there is no way that my Laynee is going to give up her virtue to some book worm named Troy.
No way.
None.
“Probably."
Fury rings out in my ears as my Marine training kicks into high gear. The ways I could break bones on this guy. The fear I could put inside him instead of his dick inside my girl. "You like him?"
"Yes."
My nostrils flare at her confession because this would happen to me. Shit happened, and now I’m here.
She moved on.
I semi-desired that.
However, I don’tlikeit. But I did what I came here to do, and that was to confess my feelings to the girl who’s always held my thoughts.
My mission is done.
"Then I'll let you go."
Laynee stares at me, that deceit filling her eyes again. She did exactly what she should’ve done, and I’m trying my damnedest not to be mad at her. My worst fear came to fruition, and I have to deal with that alone now. She’d be stupid as fuck if she would’ve held on to me with the months that have already gone by. If it were any other guy but me, I’d bitch at her to get over it. That I wasn’t worth it. That I deserved so much better than some asshole who ghosted her.
"Okay. Cal…” Her voice sounds fractured, matching my heart and soul as she blinks at me. “Be careful. Don't do anything stupid. I’ll...I’ll miss you.”
Slowly turning on her heel, she begins to stride from the room, leaving me to my own devices and inner chaos again.
She's leaving.
My few minutes with Laynee were just that—us arguing and her telling me how it is. The smartest of the two of us because I can't let shit lie.
I never can.