Page 28 of Dirty Player

I stare at the ceiling, then reach for my phone.

Friends.

It’s time to truly let her go.

CHAPTER SIX

KAYLEE

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I lean my head against the steering wheel of my car and start to cry. It’s been a day from hell. I don’t know if I have the strength to deal with this right now.

My car won’t start, it’s dark outside, and my father has been rushed to hospital.

Goddamn life.

When I woke up this morning Levi had messaged —sent at two in the morning—that simply saidsorry.Otherwise, he’s avoided me all day.

Has he? Or does he just not care enough to look my way?

His conscience clearly got the better of him, and he decided to apologize. I guess that’s something. Now, he’s free to carry on and live his life.

You should too.

Even though we haven’t spoken in months, seeing him yesterday has stirred things in me. I still want answers. I want to know why I wasn’t good enough for him back then.

Why didn’t he invite me to the stupid family event?

Did he not think we were good together?

I thought we were happy.

I thought he was happy. Until he began pulling away. I can’t even blame another woman, as he’s not been linked to anyone since we split up.

“We aren’t in the same league as his family, Kaylee,” my father said. “His father is Ward Montgomery. They probably have expectations about who their sons marry.”

I stared at him that day, bewildered. “Then why would he date me?”

Dad frowned at me. “Why do boys date any girls?”

Oh, my god.

My own father telling me that a boy just spent two months dating me for sex. And nothing else.

“Hank, you don’t know that’s true.” Mom had told him off as he dropped his utensils and wiped his mouth on a napkin.

“I do. I was a young man once. If a guy doesn’t take you home to meet his family after a few weeks of dating, then—and don’t shoot the messenger— he’s not looking for a wife, and he’s getting his other needs met.”

My face had been a beet red.

How could I have been so dumb?

The next day, Levi said he was going to do some circuits around the park and would just see me at Penn State the next day, instead of us going back to his place.

My instincts were on fire, and I was worried.

I really didn’t want to hear theit’s me, not youspeech. I also hoped Dad was wrong.

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