Page 41 of Cross My Heart

They echo as he drives away from me.

They echo as Scarlett finds me kneeling on the dirt, a look of confusion and then fury on her face.

And they echo as I follow her back inside.

You chose her.

You chose her.

You chose her.

And the problem is that he’s right. I did choose her.

Now I have to live with it.

Chapter 21

TYLER

25 YEARS OLD

The crunch of the small rocks under my tires is soothing as I park in a spot in front of an empty building. My dad asked me to meet him here with Scarlett, and I spot him smoking a cigarette in front of the entrance. He stubs it as soon as he sees me, and I smirk. My mom would throw a fit if she knew he’s still smoking. But it’s none of my business.

I kill the engine and get out, Scarlett quickly following, and I frown in confusion. My dad has a huge smile on his face, and he hands over a pair of keys as soon as I get close enough to him. I look down at the keys and then up at the door, and without further ado, we enter.

It’s dark and musty, so I turn on the lights and wrinkle my nose. But there’s a long bar in the middle of the room. Pool tables. Even booths. I look back at my dad in confusion, and then at Scarlett. She’s looking around the same way I am, and when our eyes connect, she nods.

“What is this place, Dad?” I ask him, and he grins.

“It’s your bar, Tyler.”

“Bar?” I wrinkle my nose. “Why?”

“You haven’t done anything with your life, son. Working at Sonic won’t be enough forever.” He begins, and I open my mouth to argue with him, but he raises a hand to shut me up. “Do you even have dreams anymore?”

I think of Noah.

I think of being a teacher.

And I nod. “Yeah, I still do.”

“Well this can hold you over until you achieve them,” he says, and I tense. Because the truth is, I’ll probably never achieve my dreams.

Being a teacher seems impossible now. At twenty-five, going back to school feels absolutely pointless. I fell behind, and now I have to move forward. I guess he’s doing me a favor, really. He’s giving me options I’ve never had before. I can own a business now. I can?—

“So what do you think?” Dad asks, a hopeful look in his eyes.

“I love it!” I yell and he laughs. “Thank you, dad.”

Dad comes up to me, wrapping his arms around me, and I close my eyes. It’s been a long time since I’ve been hugged this way by him. Sometimes I think he’s disappointed in me. Like he can see right through me. Does he know about me and Noah? Does he know that I’m a liar and a cheater? My gut churns with guilt, and I pull away.

“Congratulations, babe!” Scarlett grins, hugging me next, and I try to relax my body. “This is perfect for us.”

“Yeah, it is,” I agree.

I just wish Noah was here to celebrate with me.

But we can’t all get what we want.

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