Page 11 of Great Pretender
It’s not that I agree everything belonged to Heath; it’s more the case now that whatever I bought was done on the premise of us living together, and I don’t want it anymore.
Like the vase I got from the art fair a few years back because he liked it, and the furniture in the sunroom that I got because he liked the way it blended in with the color scheme.
Things like that can stay. I’ll bounce back at the end of the month when I get paid and hopefully get my own place.
“It will just be good to get it sorted out today,” Chad says.
I agree. “I’d like that. I don’t want to run into Heath again, ever if I can manage it.”
“Well, let’s hope for that. I can’t say the same.”
My lungs squeeze as I recall Chad beating up a boy who’d bullied me when I was fifteen. I couldn’t allow him to do that now. “Chad, please don’t do anything. I don’t want any more problems with this guy.”
“You don’t think he deserves a good beating for what he did?” He sneers, cracking his knuckles.
“Yes, but not by you. Please promise me you won’t make the situation worse. You don’t know what Heath is like.”
“I don’t really care what he’s like.”
“Chad, please. I mean it. I just want to move on.” My voice carries the embers of what I went through over the past year with Dad. All alone.
“Okay, but I can’t guarantee that I won’t beat his ass if I see him on the street. Anyway, I’d best head out and face the music.”
“Good luck.”
“I’m gonna need it, babe, so thanks.”
I’m pretty certain his father is going to be furious. Chad’s shenanigans and the lineup of women are nothing new to me. I do, however, want to be sure of one thing before he leaves.
“You, um, won’t have any of your bed friends visiting this morning, will you?” That’s nothing new either.
I tug on my bottom lip. There have been, on occasion, bed buddies who happened to come by when I’ve stayed over. I don’t want to run into anyone like that today. I wouldn’t personally know someone like Tiffany Carmichael, but I read the papers a lot, and the fact that I know she’s been after Chad for a while and went skinny dipping with him means we’ll be seeing her again. I’m almost certain of it.
His shoulders sag. “No. There will be no bed buddies.”
“Just checking.”
“No bed buddies, Piper, or anything of the variety. See you later.” He gives me a mock salute and a cocky wink before he makes his way through the door.
I stare after the empty trail for far too long, getting lost in my thoughts and the situation I’m in now.
I feel better than I did last night, which I credit to the sleep I got. I feel stronger too and less stressed. Only to some extent, though. Leaving Heath’s house today is gonna be good. But, what else am I getting myself into by staying here?
Given my situation, I must have looked completely ridiculous, turning down Chad’s offer then telling him I’d stay for a few days. Like I really have a choice.
I had my reasons for saying so, though. Ones I won’t share with him.
Or anybody.
Reason number one is that I decided long ago to turn a blind eye to his playboy scandals. I’d never confessed that watching him go through women like he changes clothes hurts sometimes.
That kiss we shared was what started it.
It was a kiss that shouldn’t have happened. And we were just a girl and a guy who were best friends.
I can honestly say that until that kiss, I was the friend I was supposed to be.
I was sixteen, and he was home from Stanford for Christmas break. It was the first time we’d seen each other since he left for college. We were playing a stupid quiz we found in the paper. There was a statement about the impossibility of men and women being friends without having romantic feelings toward each other.
