Page 55 of Those Heartbreak Scars

I shut the door and rest against the panel. Start to rock as my emotions bubble to the surface.

“Rica.” His voice makes it to me through the thick wood. “I truly am sorry.”

Chapter Twenty

America

“We’re heading to the Dells for a week.” Indy bounces around in her living room while I shove the last spoonful of oatmeal into my mouth and place the bowl in the sink.

Everett will be here any minute, and I still need to pour my coffee and find my keys. Work out what I’m going to say to him when he asks me to be his girlfriend again. If he asks me. After meeting his mom maybe that’s not something I need to worry about anymore.

“America?” Indy raises her voice. “Are you listening to me?”

“Huh? Of course I am.” Where did I put my keys last night after Gray made it clear we were nothing and then insulted me for good measure? Oh, right, there they are on the side table. “What were we talking about?”

“The Dells.” Indy’s eyes are lit up, despite it being the middle of the night back home. She must be waiting for Theo to get home from work. “The waterslide park. The trip we were going to take right before I had surgery.”

“Yeah. Of course.” I scoop up my knitted cap from between a couple cushions on the sofa and pull it down over my hair. A yawn takes over my face, making my eyes water.

“You’re like a zombie this morning.” Indy’s tone turns curious. “And it’s almost ten over there. You were with him, weren’t you? Doing the sex things.”

The things Gray did to me would make Indy blush.

“Oh my God, you were.” Her eyes grow larger, the sparkle in them even brighter. She is as excited about my mystery man as she is about her remission party. Perhaps even more so. “Tell me all the details. Leave nothing out.”

The oatmeal in my belly sours. It was his begging me to keep seeing Everett that had me tossing and turning until dawn.

How could he do that when it was Indy’s seeing Theo that broke his heart? Unless there’s no chance he could ever feel about me the way I do about him.

“I remember the trip.” I pick up my travel mug from the counter. “How could I forget you fainting and scaring the absolute crap out of me? We thought you weren’t going to make it through the next hour.”

It’s not the kind of thing one ever forgets.

“Well, this time I won’t faint.” She sticks her tongue out at me. “I’m healthy. It’s been a year. We’re going to celebrate. You, me, Theo. EJ and my parents. Oh, and Theo’s sister and his parents. You can bring him too. Yourhethat has you so tired, you can’t stop yawning.”

“I’m switching you to phone,” I say, and cancel the video so she can’t read my emotions on my face.

“I just want to know who he is. Are you really not dating that soccer player you were spotted with? He’s hot, by the way.”

“Maybe there’s a chance that I’ve been dating a hot, famous soccer player.” On the stoop, I lock up behind me.

“I thought so,” she crows.

“But I’m not ready to talk about it, okay? It’s kind of complicated.” That would be an understatement. The next time I talk to my girl I’ll almost certainly be confirmed single for life.

“Fine, well, uncomplicate it and bring him. Bring him. Bring him. Did I say you should bring him? Because you should bring him.”

“You can’t always get your way.” I certainly can’t or Gray wouldn’t have asked me to string Everett along. I would be tucked up in his arms instead. He admitted he wants me, but he wants his job more. I always end up in second place with him.

“I know that.” She grows sullen. “You know I know that.”

“Gray won’t—” I slam my lips shut, my heart racing. I almost just outed myself. A pang of guilt stabs me in the chest, and I rub it.

“Won’t come. I know.” She sighs. “And that’s okay. I don’t regret my life with Theo. I only regret that I hurt Gray and we’re not friends anymore. I guess that’s normal though. Most people don’t stay friends with their exes. Even if they’ve known them for their entire lives.”

“No, they don’t.” What else did she expect would happen? He was like an older brother to her for years before they got together, but that doesn’t subtract from the fact that she broke his heart.

What else did I expect would happen? Getting involved with Gray when he’s still not over her… I take a steadying breath and turn to face Everett. He climbs out of his ride. Rejection hurts, no matter the motive behind it. But it’s better to tell someone when there’s no hope than to string them along.

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