Page 78 of Ink & Stardust

“Again, aware.”

“How else was I supposed to talk to you?”

“You weren’t.” I cross my arms in front of myself because punching him is starting to look more appealing by the second and I’m really trying not to resort to violence today.

“Look.” He starts to take a step toward me but then thinks better of it. Smart move. “I know I messed up,” he starts.

“Messed up?” I choke on a laugh that bubbles from my throat. “You were fucking my best friend behind my back, you sick son of a bitch!”

He draws back, surprised by my language, and he’s not the only one. I’m a little surprised myself.

“I don’t know how to make this more clear to you. I hate you. I hate you, and I never, ever want to see you again.”

“You don’t mean that.” He swipes a hand through his ash-blond hair, hair I’ve run my fingers through more times than I’d ever be able to count.

“Oh, I do. I mean, honestly, Leo, what did you expect? That you could just have both of us?”

“I don’t want her!” He explodes. “I want you.”

“Funny thing... You had me and then you threw me away.”

“I didn’t throw you away. I made a mistake.”

“You and Summer were having sex behind my back for months. That’s more than just a mistake. That’s a choice. A choice you both made. The choice to not give a shit about me.”

“I love you.” This time he actually does reach for me, but I uncross my arms and quickly bat his hand away.

“Don’t you dare touch me,” I warn, my heart jackhammering against my ribs as adrenaline slices through my veins, making me feel like I’ve just grabbed a live electrical wire and am contemplating shoving it through his eye socket.

“Why are you being like this?”

“The fact that you’re even asking me that question tells me that you haven’t changed one bit. You’re still a lying, selfish piece of shit.”

“You’re only saying that because you’re still hurt.”

“Damn right I’m hurt!”

“But we can get past this.”

“No, we can’t.” I shake my head. “You treated me like I meant nothing. Like my feelings meant nothing. You’re right, we share a lot of history, but that didn’t keep you from blowing up my entire life.”

“Don’t be so melodramatic. I did not blow up your life.”

My anger pulses violently.

“I was never enough for you.” I seethe. “And I never would have been. But you know what I realize now that I didn’t back then? That if I’m not enough for you, then you are most certainly not enough for me. You never deserved me, and truth be told, I’m glad to have caught you that night. Because it finally showed me your true colors, and they are disgusting.”

Anger spreads across his face, a face I once thought was so handsome. Now, all I see is how ugly he truly is. How vile and repulsive. How I ever loved this man, I’ll never know. I’ll never understand how I looked into those eyes and saw my future. How I lay in his arms and found comfort.

“You’re just saying this because you’re still in love with me. What I did hurt you so badly that you had to move states away just to escape me. That’s how much you loved me, Lyric. That’s how much you still love me.”

“Do you hear yourself? Could you be any more delusional? Not only do I not love you, but I actively despise you. You think I’m in Virginia crying over you when in reality, I’m having my brains fucked out by the sexiest man in existence who makes your pencil dick look more like a Tic Tac.”

He draws back like I’ve physically struck him and I smile.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Lyric Sierra Parker. Take a long, good look because this is the last time you’ll ever lay eyes on me. The man I was telling you about, the one who makes me feelsooooogood, well, he’sverypossessive. All it would take is one slip of this little interaction and that pretty little face of yours that you value so much... Yeah, it wouldn’t be so pretty anymore.”

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