Page 44 of Forgive You

“Excuse me?” I should hit him over the head with something hard, but I don’t have anything within grabbing range. “What are you talking about?”

My first thought is to not entertain him and open the door so I can kick him out the way he stormed in. But my second thought is laced with curiosity that I can’t contain.

It’s like I’m this martyr that just can’t walk away. It’s like I need to hear everything he thinks about me so I can let it go, but then in the end, I don’t.

Why can’t I fucking let go?

He huffs, frustration tensing his shoulders. “I’m talking about the number of secrets you’re effortlessly keeping. No wonder you and Jacob have been hittin’ it off for so long.”

It’s like a knife straight into my heart.

Hurt coils my insides. “You are unbelievable.”

I walk past him in a daze, not even able to look at him. For someone who always claimed to have my best interests, he’s hurting me more than his brother ever did. Because at least he didn’t question my character.

“What? It’s true. You’re just like him!”

I’d like to believe he’s just lashing out because I hurt him. That deep down, he knows better. That he’s just frustrated because I haven’t told him everything.

But it doesn’t change how much it hurts to hear him say shit like this.

I spin on my heels, then let my ass drop on my fluffy couch, pulling my blanket over my legs as if it can protect me against his fury.

“Are you really that fucking blind?” I shout, because I don’t have it in me to stay calm and collected anymore.

If he wants to storm into my apartment and is dead set on having this fight, then let’s have it. Things can’t get worse anyway. I survived the last couple of days.

I’m sure I can deal with another pile of shit, right?

He shakes his head, standing in front of me with a righteous expression that I'm dying to wipe off his face. His biceps are highlighted in the dark blue Henley he’s wearing, matching the frustration that’s forming a dark ring around his irises.

“You let me touch you when you were on a date with him! You’re lying about being sick when, clearly, you’re not.” He points at the bowl of popcorn on my coffee table. “You won’t tell me what the fuck is going on between you two–”

“Don’t you dare!” I interrupt.

I’m so sick of him playing this card.

That wasbeforewe hooked up. When I finally had the balls to pour my heart out to him, he bailed onme. Not the other way around.

“Dare what?” He has the balls to glare at me like I’m the only player in this fucked-up game.

“Pretend this is on me!”

“You’re the one going back with your tail between your legs every fucking time!”

And this is where I hit my breaking point. My heart is beat up and wounded, yes. But right now, it’s angry enough to jump out of my chest and hit him over the head if he keeps spewing whatever ridiculous story he’s told himself.

“You left me!” I roar with more vigor than I ever did in my life.

He left me without as much as an attempt to listen to my explanation of what turned into a terrible situation within seconds. I know what it looked like, but he jumped to conclusions quicker than I could yellstop.

Adrenaline wraps around my organs, bugs flying through my stomach with so much ferocity it’s making me antsy.

How fucking dare he put this on me.

I chose him. I was there. I was all in.

“You had his motherfucking ring, Julie!”

---