Page 73 of Give Me Perfect Love

Maybe going back to my hometown reminded me of what it was like to live in a broken home. And then right when I got back to Atlanta, Bryce and I started arguing.Everything leaves eventually.

Bethany’s words from so long ago still affect me.

I sigh. Claire is right, like always. Why can’t I get over this?

Why can’t I move on?

I’ve tried. I’ve tried so hard to be better.

I know I’m hurting myself, but isn’t that better than him doing it?

Claire scoffs “Yeah. We’ll go with that.” She looks to the front. “Thanks for the ride,” she says to the driver.

“Sure thing. Enjoy the party,” he replies as we climb out.

The shades are down on the front windows, but it looks dark behind them. “Don’t forget to rate him,” I say to her.

Pretty in a red dress looks down at her phone, and I pull my coat tighter. Christmas lights are wrapped around lamps down the street and cars zoom past us, splashing up water from the rain we had earlier.

“Why are there no lights on?” I ask as I pull the door open. The handle is icy cold, and once we step inside we find the place empty.

The door suctions closed, slicing the cold wind off behind us. I sigh and my eyes look up at the ceiling. “Claire, are you sure this is where it’s supposed to be?”

I pull my phone from my coat pocket, seeing it’s nearly ten. Just as I go to put my phone up, it vibrates. My heart swells in utter joy when I see his name pop up on the screen. It lifts its shoulders and clasps its hands together with a closed-lip smile. We haven’t spoken in three days.

A short text from him here and there, but I haven’t heard his voice. I miss the sound, deep and raspy like he’s had a few shots of bourbon. I miss his smell–– smoky-spice. The feel of his rough hands on my skin and the softness of his short hair beneath my fingers.

I exhale. Right now isn’t a good time, though. My heart stomps its foot and gives me an eat shit look. I ignore the pang in my chest and hit the shady button with my thumb before sliding it back into my pocket, already feeling the ache in my feet from these beautiful, ridiculous shoes Claire forced me into.

I think she’s forced me into every pair of heels I’ve ever worn. Except for the ones I wore the night Bryce showed up to that club and got on stage, declaring how much he was torn up about us. He cleared the whole place out.

“And you left him there alone,”my heart tosses out.

“I’ll never get over you.”I shudder, thinking about the words he said to me.

Man, that guy.

I’ve yet to meet anyone like him.

He constantly surprises me. In the best and worst ways. I should have answered his phone call.

“Yeah. I got a text yesterday saying we were going to have it here because the other place had a water problem.”

“Well, seems like no one else got that text,” I reply, expressionless. “Call someone.”

Cool, cool wind bellows in behind us, and goosebumps mingle with hair that stands. We both turn around when the door opens, and needles chase each other down my spine as panic soaks me to my bones.

Instinct tells me to step back and I do, bumping into a table, causing it to screech across the floor, knocking off a small vase of poinsettia flowers. Glass connects with tile, and water pours onto the floor.

My pulse hammers as I swallow alarm. My heart, no longer angry at me, cowards in fear.

“I didn’t expect both of you to be here, but I guess I’ll go with it.” The beard changes his whole look, and flashbacks of a man with a hoodie in the dead of summer bumping into me on the street crosses my mind.

“Some guy almost knocked me down out there, and get this, he was wearing a hoodie.” She reaches for her cone, and I lift my locks away from my sweaty neck. She has a newspaper in front of her and a red marker between her teeth.

“Did you dropkick his dumb ass?” she asks.

I laugh. “No. I’m a little rusty. Didn’t wanna embarrass myself.”

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