Page 22 of Those Heartbreak Scars

“It’s not.” I bury my head in my hands and massage my temples. “He wouldn’t let me end it tonight, because he thinks that’s why I’ve been weird all evening. Because he’s moving too fast.”

We grow quiet. Lost in our own problems and in each other’s. She really needs to kick Nathan to the curb.

Dove faces me. “So you’re going to call it quits with Everett?”

“I’m not sure. I like him. But after tonight…”

“You could tell him that you want to keep your options open. Especially if you’re going to date Gray too. At least that way you’re giving him the choice. He might even be okay with it in the short term. If his socials are anything to go by. He seems pretty liberal when it comes to dating,”

“You stalked him?” Why am I surprised by this?

“That’s why you have friends. If you’d told me about the professor earlier, I would have stalked him too.”

Perhaps if I had I would have avoided that whole mess. “Everett seems really serious about us getting serious.”

“All you can do is tell him that you want to date—"

“I’m not going to date Gray.” My phone vibrates as if to remind me that it’s better that Gray doesn’t want me. What would Indy think of me? EJ already made it clear to Gray that it would be a terrible idea.

I pick up my phone, and I swear the universe is laughing at me because Gray’s name is attached to more than one notification on my screen.

Gray: Missed call.

Gray: Call me.

Gray: We need to talk, Rica.

Gray: Is he still there?

Gray: I don’t know how to do this. But you need to know I never meant to hurt you.

But he did in Positano. And then he did again tonight. Keeping my distance, at least until I work out how to stop wanting him, is the only way to go. So I swipe away my notifications and put my phone down.

“I don’t really know Gray, but maybe don’t break up with Everett if you have any doubts about doing so. You’ve been happier these last few weeks. I think he might be good for you,” Dove says. “Perhaps tell him that you have a situation, and that you need to keep things casual with him, until you can work through whatever this is with Gray.”

“I don’t need to work anything out with Gray.” I stand and put the ice cream away. Wash the spoons in the sink, before placing them in the strainer. “I don’t want to talk to him. Or see him. And I do like Everett.”

“So…?” She climbs to her feet with slow, cautious movements. Like her eye might not be the only injury she’s sporting tonight.

“I’ll think about it,” I say. “If you’ll think about telling Nathan to shove off.”

“I think about it every damn day,” she says, still pressing the tea towel full of ice against her eye. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I’ll be at work.” I shut off the light as I follow her out of the kitchen. “I’ve got an all day shift. But I can bring home a curry and a bottle of gin. We can watch a movie and have a few drinks.”

“Ooh. Getting plastered sounds like a lovely idea.” Dove disappears into her bedroom. “I’m in. As long as we can swear off men, dicks, and men who are dicks.”

My phone vibrates with another message. Why can’t Gray understand that I don’t want to talk to him? “Because that worked out so well for us last time.”

“Well, you know what they say,” Dove says. She shares a grim look with her bruised face in her floor length mirror. “If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.”

Except trying not to be in love with Gray has never worked for me either. Avoiding him is my only option. “I think it’s for the best, really.”

Chapter Nine

Gray

It’s raining as I flip the collar on my woolen jacket up and open the umbrella I purchased from a corner shop early this morning. The pavement is pewter, the sky too. Everything is about as cheery as my mood.

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