I keep my eyes firmly on the moving dots as though I’m convinced that they’re going to disappear at any moment.
And then… they do.
My stomach drops.
What was she going to say? Why did she change her mind about sending that message?
Relief fills my chest when the dots pop up again a moment later.
Then my phone chimes with a text.
Lacey
We need to talk. Can you come over?
I’ve never pushed to my feet so fast in my life.
“I need to go home to get my car. Lacey wants to talk,” I tell the guys.
I’ve already typed a reply by the time Theo nods and rises off the couch.
Then I press Send.
TJ
I’m on my way.
Ever heard the phrase,“when something seems too good to be true, it usually is”?
Well, those words have never rung truer than they do right now.
Call me pessimistic, but when my car comes to an abrupt stop in front of Lacey’s house, the only question in my mind is, “What’s the catch?”
Just a few days ago, she was looking at me like I was dead to her, and now she suddenly wants to talk?Maybe she’s ready to forgive you,the hopeful side of me argues, but I know better than to think winning back her trust will be easy.
All I know is I have to try and fix this, however long it takes. I could have been on death’s doorstep, and I still would’ve shown up today.
I can hear my heart drumming in my ears as I make my way up her driveway toward the front door.
I’ve tried to come up with a few solid lines and apologies on the way here, but nothing I concoct seems to be enough to make me forgivemyself, let alone make her forgive me.
The truth is, I wouldn’t forgive me either.
I hold my breath before ringing the doorbell.
Footsteps thump on the other side of the door, and the anticipation twists my stomach into a big bag of knots. I release the breath previously caught in my chest when she appears in the doorway.
She’s as beautiful as ever, wearing her hair down, a Duke University hoodie, and a pair of black leggings. She’s not wearing any makeup, not that she usually wears a lot, but the circles beneath her eyes tell me she hasn’t been sleeping well either.
She doesn’t smile when she sees me, or react, for that matter. She looks empty. Completely drained.
You did that.
You broke her.
I have no idea what to say, so I opt for a simple “Hey.”
She opens the door fully and steps aside. “Hey. Thanks for coming.”