Page 10 of The Boy I Once Loved

Not giving me an answer, Dylan climbs out of the car and starts walking towards the swings. Frowning, I climb out the back and start to follow but then I realise Connor is still in the car.

“Come on,” I order.

Connor sighs and slouches further into the passenger seat. “I’m guna hang here. I’m tired of playing referee between you two.”

“Traitor.” I accuse, and he answers me with a sad smile.

“I was always the third wheel in this trio, and I was and I still am okay with that. Humour him.” Connor’s window closes, effectively ending our conversation.

Feeling mightily frustrated, I take off after Dylan. He has passed through the park and is heading into the wooded area behind. I jog to catch up with him. “Want to tell me where we are going?”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t know,” he answers without looking back at me. He continues into the trees and I jog quicker to keep up with him. When I catch him up, he is standing and looking at a large tree in front of him.

“You turned into a tree hugger?”

He chuckles but keeps his back to me. “I come here when I need to get away from everything.”

“You come to a secluded area of the park to think?” I arch a brow. “That’s not creepy at all,” I joke.

He turns and sits himself down, with his back resting against the solid trunk of the tree. "This is the tree I taught you to climb. This is the tree we carved our initials in. Right there." His fingers touch a part of the trunk just to the right of his head.

I know very well that we climbed this tree and I also know that there is a heart carved there with our initials in. "Is there a purpose to all this Dylan? Because I kind of want to get home."

His eyes hold mine as he sits there and just watches me. I can’t read him. “I came here because I felt close to you when I did.” He releases a long sigh and runs a hand through his hair. “I want my best friend back. I need to be in your life, Els. I let you go once; I won’t do that again.”

My heart pounds in my chest. “We can’t be friends.”

“Why?” He demands. He stands and comes to stand toe-to-toe with me. “I’ve said I’m sorry. I know I was a dick.”

I shake my head and look down at our feet. “It isn’t enough. You were the one person I thought would always have my back, and you turned on me.”

“I don’t know how to make this right,” he admits, running a tired hand over his face.

I sigh. "Then don't. Let's just agree to go our separate ways." I can't take looking at him anymore. I can't take the pain I can see in his eyes. I want to believe he is sorry, but he broke me, and I can't let him break me again. Plus, I can never be friends with him as deep down I had always wanted more, and he hadn't. I take a step back to put some distance between us, not realising there is a tree root behind me, I fall backwards and twist to put my hands out and break my fall.

“Fuck,” I hiss. My ankle hurts – badly.

Dylan rushes to my side. “Are you okay?”

“Do I look okay?” I growl as I try to breathe through the pain.

He crouches down and gently put his hand on my ankle. “You think it’s broken?”

“Well, I’m in agony, so what do you think?” I hiss. I lean up on my arm and attempt to stand.

“Stop El, you’ll make it worse. I’ll carry you.”

I stop still. “Like hell you will.”

“Okay, let’s see you walk, princess,” he says fighting a smile.

Glaring at him, I bend one leg and try to push up on my hands but it’s useless as I can’t put any pressure on my other leg.

“You done?” He asks, looking smug.

I glare at him. “This is all your fault.”

He chuckles as he steps forward and puts his hands under my knees and my arms and he lifts me. "You were the one who tripped. It's not like I pushed you."

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