Page 38 of Ugly Truths
“Alright, I have some packing to finish,” Corey admits with a sigh. Ben is quick to mutter his agreement, and they both sign off quickly. I’m about to hang up when I realize Luis still hasn't.
The static hums on the line, and eventually, Luis breaks it, his voice soft and steady.
“Elena.”
I close my eyes and exhale a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Hi, Lu.”
In just those few words, I can feel the distance between us. It’s strange, considering how much we've been through together. When I couldn’t handle Peter on my own, Luis just opened his door and let me in. I barely even put up a fight when he offered it; I convinced myself he wanted to help. And maybe that’s true, but any decent person would have considered the consequences for him. I was so damn desperate that I threw any morals out the window for survival. Again. Just like I did by allowing Peter to control me after Drew.
I'm still the same piece of shit I’ve always been; just in a different font.
My eyes burn while I stare at his contact on the screen. “I didn’t think you’d still be on.” My voice is so brittle that the strain makes me wince.
“I figured you might stay,” he replies simply. There’s no anger or venom. And somehow, that makes it worse.
He’s given me so much without receiving anything in return.
“I’m so sorry.”
His forgiveness comes instantly, effortlessly. “You know better than to apologize to me. I always knew something like this was a possibility.”
The guilt digs in deeper between my ribs and twists.
I push the laptop aside and curl my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. There’s so much I want to say, but none of it feels like enough. So instead, I just sit there, looking down at the phone in silence.
Luis releases a quiet breath. “How are you? Are you safe?”
My skin tingles with shame as I glance around the pristine guest room and its tasteful decor. The most beautiful space for the person who least deserves it.
“I’m fine.” The words feel like a lie, even though they are technically true. “What about you?”
“Better than before,” Luis replies, his tone lighter now. “I even have real food. So, thanks for that, though you really shouldn’t have done it.”
I huff out an incredulous laugh. “It was the bare minimum, and you know it.”
He chuckles, the sound warm and familiar. “That’s all I’m getting of your usual sass? You’ve gone soft, El.”
My lip twitches in a hint of a smile before disappearing. “I think these past few months have taken all of it out of me.”
Luis doesn’t respond right away. The silence stretches just long enough to feel uncomfortable before he clears his throat. “So, does this all mean you and Silas have hashed things out?”
A bitter laugh escapes me before I can stop it, and I tilt my head back to blink away the fresh onslaught of tears.
“There’s nothing to hash out,” I say, my voice trembling. “He hates me, and his new girlfriend…” My lips press together as I try to steady my shaking. “She seems really lovely.”
Luis’s voice softens, sympathy woven into every syllable. “I’m sorry. That’s—”
“Don’t be sorry.” The words are sharp but empty. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. I did this to myself. And he deserves someone like that.”
“Someone like what?” Frustration edges into his question. I shake my head, even though he can’t see me.
“Someone good,” I whisper. “But that doesn’t matter, anyway. If the only thing I can do is love him from a distance and hope he’s happy, then that’s what I’ll do.”
I swallow hard, forcing the emotion down, but it’s bubbling so deep inside me that if I stay here any longer, it’ll all spill over. The last thing Luis needs is to coddle the person who put him in this position.
“I should let you go,” I say on a breath, trying to end the call before the lump in my throat chokes me.
“Wait,” Luis says, his tone soft but insistent. “Listen to me. You’ve made mistakes, but I know you. You’re not the person he or even you think you are. Silas is a moron if he won’t take his head out of his own ass and hear you out.”
