Page 43 of Burning for the Truth

I hear his footsteps, but I don’t look up. “How could you do this to me?” I ask as soon as he’s in earshot.

“What?” he asks in a worried voice. He steps inside the closet and freezes, all the color drains from his face making the dark circles under his eyes more obvious than before. “Sweetheart—”

“No! You don’t get to call me sweetheart right now. This is…this is low, even for you.” I finally find the strength to stand. He looks as if I stabbed him in the heart, shock evident on his face, his lips parted slightly. The sight makes me hesitate, but what about how him hiding this makes me feel?

“How long have you had this?” I ask clutching the sheet to my chest as I hold the ring box and letter up so he can see.

“Briella…” His chest rises and falls carefully as if he’s controlling his breathing.

I stare at him while tears drip off my wobbling chin. As he continues to stare at me silently, I lose my temper. “You know what, don’t say anything. There isn’t anything you could say right now to fix this.”

I brush past him, careful not to touch him. He doesn’t even try to stop me; he simply stares in the closet as I move around behind him. I go in the kitchen and gather my clothes. How could I be so blind? I should’ve known he hasn’t changed. He doesn’t take love…or me, seriously for one second. I’m convenient for him right now.

I find my phone and call Brittney. “Hey. I’m at Dean’s house and I need you to come get me.” I sniff, trying—and mostly losing—to keep more tears from falling.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

“No, just please come now.” I rattle off his address and stand by the door to watch for her.

Dean finally walks into the kitchen with his eyes cast down at the floor, seemingly defeated. “Briella, let me take you to Valley B. I don’t want you somewhere you won’t be safe.”

“No. I’m not going anywhere with you. As soon as Britt’s here, I’m leaving,” I say as I swipe away another tear.

He finally glances up at me with his own, red-rimmed eyes. “Briella, please. Don’t go. Please give me a chance to explain.”

“Dean, you’ve had plenty of chances to tell me about this and to explain. But you haven’t. How could I be so stupid?” I laugh humorlessly.

He comes closer and attempts to reach for me. “Bree…”

I press against the door. “Don’t touch me.” My voice cracks.

He drops his hands and looks so broken I almost want to wrap him in a hug and tell him it’ll be okay, but it isn’t. He lied by omission. He kept something important from me. Love isn’t filled with secrets and half-truths.

Moments later, headlights flash through the window and Brittney texts me she’s outside. I turn to open the door.

He tries again. “Please, baby. Let me explain this to you. I love you so much. I can’t lose you now, not when I finally stand a chance with you.” He slides behind me and turns me so I’m facing him. “I told you to hold on to me, Bree, to not let go. I’ve always told you that, and I know I don’t always get it right but I’m holding on to you. I won’t let go. I promised you.”

I step out of reach. “You don’t have a choice, becauseI’mletting go. I can’t hold on to someone who doesn’t tell me the truth even if it will hurt me. I guess my brother knew you better than I did after all. He said you’d break my heart, and you did. Except he doesn’t know this isn’t the first time.”

“Briella, I know I hurt you all those years ago, but I’m begging you not to go. That’s not what this is, I promise. We can talk through this if you’ll just stay and let me explain.” He looks so panicked, his eyes pleading with me.

“Goodbye, Dean. Take care of yourself.” I run quickly to Brittney’s car, and even though I shouldn’t, I look at him before I get in and see the tears streaming down his handsome face making me doubt myself. But the truth is in front of me; he betrayed me by keeping this from me. I guess the real truth is, we were always meant to bejust friends.Now, I’m not sure if we can even be that.

Afew days pass...closer to a week. To be quite honest, I’m not sure how many. All I know is I’m empty. I’ve never felt this bad…this hollow. I sip a beer slowly, not really tasting it, as I sit a High Road hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

Brittney’s gaze meets mine off and on when I’m here, but she never says anything. I’m sure she wouldn’t even if I asked. So, I sit here alone. Because there isn’t anyone who can help me out of this storm I created by not telling Bree about the letter. I still don’t know what it said.

It chips away at my soul to know I hurt her again. I truly wish she had let me explain, but even if I had, she’s right. I kept the letter from her. I could have given it to her and then she could’ve decided when and if she was ready to read it. It wasn’t my choice to make for her. I can’t turn to Tate for advice, and certainly not Sterling. He warned me not to hurt her and it’s exactly what I did. He’ll never forgive me since he wasn’t really on board anyway.

I’m staring blankly at the television playing a baseball game when I sense someone sit beside me. For about a second, I get my hopes up that it’s her. But when I glance beside me, it’s not her face I see, it’s Chelsea. Disappointment works its way from my heart to my toes.

Despite my situation and foul mood, I muster up a polite smile. Chelsea hasn’t done anything to me, and she doesn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of my mood swings. She smiles back. “Imagine running into you here,” she says with a grin.

“Yeah, imagine that,” I say flatly, unable to keep the bitterness from my tone.

She flags down Brittney and orders a drink. I glance up at Brittney to find her casting a disapproving look my way before turning to make Chelsea’s drink.What was that about?Things can’t get worse between Bree and me. She made it clear she’s done wasting her time on the likes of me. Besides, the girl is sitting beside me, nothing else.

“I heard you and Briella had a falling out,” Chelsea begins.

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