Page 20 of Cross My Heart

Ty sighs, “It’s not fine.” I nod. “Scarlett threw a fit about it. She was asking why I needed to come see you this late.”

I chuckle, “Wow.” Shaking my head, and Tyler’s eyes widen. He goes to my bed, sitting on the edge of it and taking off his shoes, then goes to sit in the middle of it, back against the headboard. I watch him for a moment, then say, “I’m your best friend. Why does it matter what time I want to hang out with you? We used to do sleepovers all the time.”

“I know.”

“So what now?” I snap. “We talk and then you go back to her?”

Tyler frowns. “You say that like?—”

“Never mind.” I shake my head, hating that we’re fighting. But I can’t help it—she’s pissing me the fuck off. “There’s nothing to talk about. Go back to your girlfriend.”

“Noah—” Tyler shakes his head too now. “Don’t do this…”

“It’s done already.”

“Talk to me.”

“What do you want me to say, Tyler?” I snap. “You don’t even care.”

“I care.” It’s so quiet I almost don’t hear it. “Tell me.”

There’s a moment of silence between us as I try to figure out what I’m going to say. How am I going to tell him this? But then I realize, the only way to do it is to rip off the Band-Aid.

I move closer to the bed, climbing onto it and sitting next to him. He makes space for me by scooting over, and I thank my lucky stars for the queen-sized bed right about now. I wish this was more than it really is between us. But I know the answer to everything I’m going to tell him tonight.

And yet I’m still doing it.

It’s as if I’m watching a damn car crash, and I can’t look away. That’s my life right now.

“Tyler, I’m—”In love with you.“I’m enlisting.”

“As in, you’re joining the Army?” His brows furrow, but he doesn’t wait for my response. I know he knew this day was coming, it was just a matter of when. “When do you leave?”

“One week.”

“What?” Tyler sputters, turning his body toward me. He looks distraught as he pinches my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to look at him. “One fucking week, Noah? Why the fuck didn’t you tell me before now?”

“What was the point?” I chuckle, but it holds no humor. “You’ve been too busy with Scarlett to care about what I’m doing.”

Tyler nods slowly, making eye contact with me. His eyes dilate. “I deserve that.”

“Yeah, you do.”

“I don’t want you to leave.” Tyler traps his bottom lip between his teeth, and my eyes drop to watch it happen. He sucks in a sharp breath, and I return my eyes to his.

“You know I have to.” I sigh, running a hand down my face and then dropping it to my lap. Tyler grabs it, squeezing it hard. “I?—”

“Don’t leave,” Tyler whispers, searching my eyes. He tears up, and I watch in horror as a tear trails down his cheek. “Please?”

“Tyler,” I whisper, and he swallows hard. I reach out and wipe the moisture from his cheek with my thumb, and more tears follow. “Come with me.”

Tyler frowns. “How?”

“Come with me.”

What. The. Fuck.

I can’t even believe I just said that.

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