Page 56 of Meet Me in the Valley
The words never find me. Nothing feels good enough. I can tell her I miss her, too. I can tell her I don’t care if she doesn’t feel the same thing for me, and I’d prove to her I can be enough.
No, you can’t. You fucked it all sideways. Unforgivable.
“Goddamn it,” I mutter, dropping my phone onto the side table.
The drawer underneath it is half-open, a strip of condoms dangling out. A careless detail in the blueprint of the personal hell I built for myself.
I didn’t just fall into this.
Idesignedit. Every line. Every flaw.
I slam it closed as if I can shut out the pain, grabbing hold of the lamp atop the table, ready to fling it across my room until it shatters into pieces—much like the state of my battered heart.
The sound of the faucet running rips me away from my impulsive thoughts as I watch the shadow underneath the bathroom door shift like a ghost coming to haunt me. A beautiful ghost who has no right to be here.
My fault.
When the door opens, Krista walks out wearing a t-shirt of mine that I must’ve left hanging on the back of the door. I don’t know if it would hurt more seeing her naked, but the sight of her in my t-shirt doesn’t feel fucking great, either.
“Hey,” she nearly whispers, sitting on the end of my bed and keeping her distance. I’m thankful for it.
“Hey.” I don’t look at her when I reply. I can’t.
“Krista, I’m really sorry,” I murmur, keeping my gaze down at my feet. “You didn’t deserve what I’ve done. God, I’m such a fucking asshole. I’m … I—” I don’t even know what to fucking say. Another wave of nausea builds, forming a tight ball in my throat. I fight tooth and nail to shove it down, desperate to make this right. Even though it’s all so, so wrong.
Krista adjusts herself to move next to me, crossing her legs underneath her. She doesn’t touch me, but she’s close enough to feel her breath on my bare shoulder.
“I’ve liked you for years, Logan. I’ll admit, I’ve never understood your relationship with Tia. It’s so obvious you two were always into each other.”
“We’re just friends,” I interject. Three words have never felt so wrong leaving my mouth.
Krista lets out a breathy chuckle, small and void of any humor. “Logan. You called out her name when you came. You wanna tell me you’re just friends after that?”
Shit.
She’s got me there.
“I’ve always fantasized about what it would be like to be with you. To have you choose me over her.” My brows raise at her boldness, and she only smiles. “Tonight wasn’t all on you. I’m at fault, too. I should’ve known better than to fall in bed with a man who would only think about another woman the whole time.”
“Krista, that’s not?—”
“Don’t bullshit me,” she counters with a voice sharp enough to cut me. “Why you don’t go after her and make it official between y’all is beyond me. But I’m done chasing you. The choice you’ve made is clear.”
Raking my hands through my hair, I tug hard at the root. I’ve been in this situation before. A woman who wants more from me sits on the edge of my bed—exactly like Krista right now—berating me for being a heartless dick. They offer me the same ultimatum, over and over again.
“Choose me, or I’m gone.”Fine with me.
“Choose me, or I’ll never speak to you ever again.”Okay.
Or in Krista’s case—“Choose me, or Tia.”
Tia. Every fucking time.
The realization rams into me like a two-ton truck. Krista is right. I’ve made my choice. To be honest, I think I made it before I realized what it meant.
Krista moves to stand, putting her hand out in front of me when I try to get up.
“Let me at least call you a rideshare,” I offer. It’s the least I can do to save what’s left of my morality. She shakes her head at me, refusing my request.
