Page 27 of Ghosted By Texas

“That didn’t happen.”

“It could have! You would have never known because you didn’t fucking care to check. The irony is, you took the time to make sure nearly naked Jordan got home safe and sound. You can claim that you never wanted a romantic relationship with her, and that you did with me, but you treated her with more respect and care than I ever saw.” He seemed completely taken aback by that statement, as if he’d never thought of it that way. Maybe that was the case, since he had blinders on where his little BFF was concerned.

“Dammit, Austin, I don’t want to keep having this argument. You will never see things for what they are because you’re too blinded by her. It always comes down to HER.” I yelled that last bit because it made me so angry to think about how easily I was forgotten while he coddled that conniving fucking bitch.

“If only you understood, she says the same damn thing about you,” he admitted as he shook his head, clearly at a loss about what to do.

“Well, then, there’s your easy fix. She’s the more important person in your life. I’m just a footnote. Go make her happy.”

I opened my front door and held my hand out for him to follow the gesture out of my apartment. He didn’t budge, though he also wouldn’t look me in the eye. His gaze stayed trained on his feet for a long time before I got frustrated and snapped the door shut. It was fucking February and cold as hell outside. Truthfully, I couldn’t afford to lose the little heat I had inside my apartment while he remained stubbornly glued to my floor.

“Go out with me,” he requested before his eyes finally moved to meet mine.

“No.”

Becs, please? I’m begging here. We’re different people than we were before. Older. Wiser. Go out with me.”

“When was the last time you slept with Jordan?”

I could see by the way his temper flared, and the asshole worked to keep it under control, that it must have been recent. “I don’t see how that is any of your business.”

“Oh, but it is. See, I like to learn from history. Remember when we went out before and I found out in an awkward, embarrassing run-in after our date that you never bothered to break things off with your girlfriend?”

“She was never my girlfriend.”

“You treated your fuck buddy better than you ever treated me, so I think she won the girlfriend distinction by default. The only person who was your disposable fuck buddy was me.”

“Fuck! I can’t win with you, can I?”

“You could answer the damn question and we’ll go from there.” I didn’t think he’d do it. The Austin I knew before wouldn’t be honest about things.

“We haven’t had sex since before the new year, but we messed around a bit the day before I saw you in Clea’s office,” he admitted. “Dallas walked in and interrupted before anything could go further that time.” It both shocked and disgusted me.

I nodded my head. “Well, then the answer remains a solid no from me.”

“I haven’t touched her since I saw you again, and you still won’t give us a shot?”

“Do you hear yourself? I can’t be with a man who has a permanent fallback girl on standby. You will never press to work on things with me. The moment things get hard, or there’s a miscommunication, you’ll ditch out again because you don’t have to work for anything when she’s there to catch your lazy ass.”

“You and I had sex last night and I’m here trying to work things out with you today, despite the fact that Jordan was angry and threatened to quit her job at the club if I started seeing you again.” He threw that sentiment at me in anger but somehow missed how knowing that would only solidify my resolve to stay away from him.

I laughed. “Your precious Jordan threatened to quit working for you, if you dated me again, and you don’t see that there’s a problem? I don’t want to do this again, Aus. I can’t. Did you miss the part where I fucking soaked your shirt with my tears and snot last night? Do you think I want to sign up to keep going through that when it’s taken me six years to…”

“To what? You haven’t gotten over me. I know because I couldn’t get over you either, Becs. It was supposed to be us. I know it was. I talked to my dad about you all those years ago and you know what he said?” I shook my head. “He told me that I sounded just like he did when he started dating my mom.”

“Everyone gets excited about new relationships.” I attempted to blow him off.

“That wasn’t it. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you were the one for me. I saw our future together.”

“But you were so quick to just throw it all away.”

“I thought you had done that.”

“If I was truly your one, you would have come for me.”

“I nearly did.”

“Nearly?” I laughed. “That sounds so promising.”

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