Page 37 of Implode

“Baby, I’m listening,” I plead. “Don’t shut me out. Please.”

“I have no clue what has you so jaded and hating on any human with a vagina, but ten bucks says it has something to do with Tara Lonsinger—who I might add used to cheer with me when we attended the same high school. She was three grades above me.”

“Damn.”

“Anyway, I digress. My point is, I can’t keep being your emotional support animal. You obviously have some shit to deal with, and I voluntarily will give you the space you need to work through it all.”

“Claire—”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, and I’m not trying to punish you. I have things to work through too, like how I allow two men to emotionally abuse me and not see the signs ahead of time and walk out before I get hurt more. But Nic? This is me walking out and this is me doing some self-care.”

“Claire, please don’t leave. Tara is nothing to me.”

There are a series of knocks at the door. “Let me in! I am tired of waiting!”

A string of curse words spills out of my mouth. I rub at the back of my neck. I know now that the girls have had some past history together, but the last thing I need is for both of them to be sharing the same space. I walk over to the door and wrench it open, coming face-to-face with Tara. I glance at her appearance as if seeing it for the first time. What the hell is she wearing—a prom dress? From head to toe, she is dolled up in a floor-length silk dress. It is in my favorite color—green. Yet, somehow, at this moment, I hate the shade. If I didn’t know what desperation looked like, I do now. What is she thinking? I want no part of this. Everything about Tara is drama with a capital D.

“Oh, hi, love bug.”

“Don’t call me that,” I sneer. In my periphery I can see Claire flinch over the nickname. I move to shield her from Tara. We both have histories with her. I just never thought mine would crash into my present when I least expected it.

“Fine,” she pouts. “I just thought we could have a little chat.” She looks behind me to see Claire, who she gives a fluttery wave to. She literally just saw her speared by my dick and yet she is acting like Claire is nothing more than a fling.

“What do you want, Tara?” I ask directly.

“I flew here to see you and prove to you that I’m serious about starting over again with you. I am ready for you to forgive me, just like I told you on the phone.”

I’m sure my jaw just hit the floor. She can’t be serious. She flew all the way here to get me to change my mind?

“So, Tara and you had a thing?” Claire asks from the sidelines.

I’m glad she decided to stay, but I’m distraught over why.

“Yes and it was”—Tara pauses with a grin—“isvery serious.”

“Biggest mistake I made was trusting you,” I say, looking Tara directly in the eyes. “You just wasted a trip coming here. We had a past that will never be a future.”

“Not really,” she says with a shrug. “It was worth it to see my old cheering buddy. You still get around with all the boys, don’t you, Claire? Loving the sloppy seconds.”

I cringe over the comment about Claire’s sexual experience. I know I have not been her first, but I would like to think I snuffed out the other memories from her past involving her lineup of men.

“Whatever, Tara. Our friendship ended,” Claire interjects, “when you tampered with my shoes during a state competition. You kept me from my chance at nationals.” She swallows hard and glances away only to return her focus to be dead point on Tara. “I try my best to no longer surround myself with toxic people who have a skewed view on what the truth means.”

“Oh dear, you need to get over that. Freshmen don’t win championships. They just hang out as backup plans.”

“Jealousy still doesn’t look good on you,” Claire snickers. “How does it feel to be rejected yet again?”

“Rejected?” she echoes. “Nah, Nic likes a little spice in his life that only I can give him. Plus, we would make the cutest babies. That’s a fact.”

“I don’t want kids, Tara, nor you.” I sigh and watch as Claire frowns and starts to gather her belongings.

“But we have so much to talk about.” Tara pouts.

“On that note, I’m out,” Claire says, opening my office door and slamming it shut.

I start to chase after her, but Tara moves in front of the exit, doing a little twirl for attention. She looks at me expectantly, hoping I give her some forced compliment over her Barbie doll appearance. Her makeup is caked on, and she is the epitome of someone who is trying way too hard to get attention. It is a bit unnatural and definitely not something I’m attracted to. What did I ever see in her? At one time I thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world, but now I can’t look at her without seeing her ruining what I thought was our future. I shake my head over her craziness and walk over to my wall of windows overlooking the city. When I turn back around, Tara is sitting at my desk, spinning the chair side to side, with her feet propped on top. I literally just had Claire sitting on my cock in that chair, yet here Tara is dirtying up the memory with my girl that I want to last forever.

“Let’s order in breakfast and chat about our future.”

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