Page 12 of Please Hate Me

“Just so you know, he’s talking tome,notyou,“ Lucian warned. “You’ve been gone for six years. I’ve moved on, and I’m completely fine.”

I should have taken comfort in his words. That’s exactly what I had wanted for him—why I left in the first place. This was a good thing. Still, a weird pit was forming in my stomach.

“I’m glad,” I said, still trying to convince myself. At least I had full confirmation that I was entirely replaceable.

Lucian scoffed once again before walking away from me and embracing Cameron. His willowy arms draped around Cameron’s neck before he pulled him in with a kiss. Years ago, when I was lucky enough to be polyamorous, watching my partners kiss was one of my favorite things. Seeing the people I loved being in love was beautiful. Now, as I watched Lucian with his boyfriend, an unfamiliar yearning caused me to ache.

Maybe coming back to America was a mistake.

The wheels of my suitcase scraped across the parking lot as Sebastian dragged it behind him. He hadn’t stopped talking since I got off the plane. I knew he was just excited to see me, but his constant chatter was starting to irritate me. Between the physical exhaustion of flying and the emotional repercussions of this whole whacked-out situation, I was bordering on overstimulation. All I wanted was to put my headphones in and hide from the world, but I recognized that would be rude.

A frigid gust of wind whipped my hood back, sneaking into my sleeves and sending shivers down my spine. I hugged myself, desperately trying to fend off the chill.

“Here,” Cameron called out, stopping in his tracks and shedding his jacket.

He extended the worn, brown leather coat toward me, just like he had that night at the concert. His kind-hearted gesture drew glares from Lucian and Sebastian, halting all three of them in their steps.

“I can’t stand by while a lady shivers,” Cameron explained.

Three sets of eyes studied me as if this was some twisted test. If I accepted the jacket, Cameron would be happy, and Lucian would probably be even more pissed off. I glanced up at Sebastian, trying to decipher his expression. Most guys wouldn’t be thrilled about their girlfriend taking another man’s jacket, but my relationship with Sebastian wasn’t exactly conventional. Most of our relationship probably wasn’t even legal, at least not on his end.

When I left America six years ago, I had planned on disappearing entirely. I didn’t want a single person from my old life to contact me, and at first, I thought I succeeded. Until I started getting texts from random numbers, saying things like‘How could you leave?’and‘I could have been enough for you.’ Each time, I’d block them. But instead of backing off, my unwanted pen pal grew more aggressive: ‘You were meant to be mine’, ‘I think about you every minute of every day’, and, most concerningly,‘If you don’t answer me, I’ll find you.’

One day, I found a sheet of notebook paper taped to my door. A simple message, scrawled in Sebastian’s unmistakably illegible blend of print and cursive:You’ll never get rid of me.

At the time, I was terrified enough to have a restraining order placed on Sebastian. But, after the order was lifted and he came back, something in my mind had warped. Suddenly, his dedication to me had gone from unnerving to admirable, and our relationship gradually shifted from hostile to friendly. And when I realized he could provide a better life for my daughter, our relationship shifted again to... well,this.

“I appreciate you looking out for my girls...” Sebastian smiled as he pushed Cameron’s hand away. “But you should leave this to me.”

Sebastian’s gaze darkened at the end of his sentence, causing Cameron to stiffen as Lucian snatched his jacket away.

“He was talking to me. Cam wouldn’t offer his jacket to someone likeMason,“ Lucian spat.

“I’m sure you’re a very pretty lady, Lucky.” Sarcasm dripped from Sebastian’s words.

“I’m fucking beautiful,” Lucian mumbled as he held the enormous jacket to his chest.

I studied him for a moment. During our time apart, Lucian had slimmed down considerably, leaving him tall and graceful. His long, defined curls were pulled back into a tangled mess, showcasing his sharp, almost feminine features.

Lucian was right; hewasbeautiful.

“What are you looking at?” he sneered.

My face grew hot as I quickly looked away. I wound my fingers into the cuff of my hoodie, picking at a loose string.

“Simmer down,” Cameron ordered. “I’d be looking at you funny, too, if it were my first time meeting you.”

My blood ran cold, and I looked back to Lucian as we all started walking towards the car again. I expected him to point out to Cameron that we had dated, but he stayed silent, electing to roll his eyes instead.

Sebastian draped an arm over my shoulder, “Ignore them. Soon it’ll be just us.”

Lucian stopped dead in his tracks, dropping Cameron’s hand to whip around and stare his brother down.

“If you want to act like a man, you better give her your fucking jacket.”

Sebastian’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

“Youheardme. She’s cold. Give. Her. Your. Jacket.“ Lucian bared his teeth as he spoke.

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