Page 151 of Catch Me
“You’re an abandoner of men. A heartbreaker.”
The case on my phone shifted as I squeezed it. Clenching my teeth, I counted backward from ten. It was a stupid trick my therapist wanted me to use, and I didn’t think it worked, but I’d be damned if I didn’t try.
“I mean, he gave you, like, a whole week,” Kai went on. “Couldn’t figure your shit out in a week?”
“Don’t start.”
“Took me a day to commit to Sen after he kissed me. Hell, Sen went to bat against his dad for me. That’s scary shit. You still haven’t dealt with yours.”
I tried to walk away, but my skin was on fire. When I heard Kai chuckle, I grabbed his shoulders and shoved him to the side. He stumbled but righted himself, just managing to avoid landing in a shrub. I clutched the front of his shirt and thrust him up against the wall again, forcing a grunt out of him.
Someone appeared around the corner carrying two drinks. “Roman,” Sen scolded, rushing over. His eyes went between us warily.
“It’s okay, baby,” Kai assured him. He didn’t look at all concerned about being in this position.
“What the hell’s going on?”
Ignoring him, I tightened my grip on Kai. “You gonna keep talking shit?”
He shrugged. The way the corner of his lips lifted made me even angrier. I kept my hands at his chest, resisting the urge to take it further.
“Good,” I said.
“Actually, I think you’re a pussy.”
Sen groaned. “Kai, you’re gonna get hit.”
I released Kai’s shirt and thrust my hands to my sides. “You should listen to your boyfriend.”
“He’s my fiancé.”
“Whatever.”
“Oh, ho, ho,” West bellowed when he joined us. Somehow, the bastard was always around when something happened. “We fighting or what? I get Roman. We’re due to square up and settle who would win, once and for all.”
I shook my head and took another step back, still trying to calm myself down. With Linc coming up beside West, I was overwhelmed and teetering on the edge of fury.
Kai glanced at West. “Nah, we’re just trying to get Roman to have an emotional response.”
“We?” Sen repeated.
“Why does he need to be emotional?” Linc asked.
“Cause he wants to act like he’s fine, which isn’t doing anyone any good,” Kai replied.
Without a word, I turned around and walked toward the front of the house. Nobody called for me, but I heard them talking. I didn’t want this to be some constant topic of conversation just because I had history with Travis. It was barely even history. I didn’t need an emotional response, that was for sure.
I quickly ordered a ride, and I was relieved when I saw that it wasn’t too far away. I just needed to get the hell out of here before I hit something—or someone.
“You’ve gotta go easy on your old man,” someone said. “That ball could tear right through my hand.”
A laugh followed, and it immediately made my stomach clench. It was carefree, just like I’d heard a hundred times. Seeing him had been one thing, but experiencing his joy again... It didn’t matter that it wasn’t because of me. The fact that it still existed somewhere in the world was enough to make my body feel heavy with the weight of the past, of my failures.
There was really no way to avoid him, so I just kept walking. Travis was in the front yard, throwing a ball with an older man. The way he smiled was so similar that I had to assume it was his dad. Why did that make the knot in my stomach tighten even more?
Keeping my head down, I passed them. Maybe he watched me go, or maybe I imagined the prickle at the back of my neck. It didn’t matter.
I continued until I reached the end of the driveway where it met the road. It only took a few more minutes for the car to arrive, and I got in without a word. The ride was silent, just like I wanted it. The entire time, I just stared out the window, watching the vaguely familiar scenery pass by.
