Page 110 of Glad You Exist

I’m just following through.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“I wouldn’t be asking.”

“You haven’t done much talking.”

“Pot meet kettle.”

“So, you admit to ignoring me as revenge?”

He looks away and threads a hand through his hair, tugging it. In the way he does when he’s on edge. His jaw clenches.

I use that moment to gather enough courage to power through with what I needed to say.

“Kim told me about prom. About how you bailed on the limo that wasyouridea.Yourmoney.” I clear my throat from the lump that has formed there and force the next words out. “I guess I should have seen it coming since you broke up with me. Why would you ride in a limo that you chose specifically for me if we aren’t together in the first place?”

His head snaps back to me.

“I didn’t…. We’re not….”

I snort because this must be a joke. It has to be. He can’t possibly be saying he didn’t break up with me after ghosting me for almost a week then not even having the courtesy to tell me he was bailing on our prom date.

“You ignored me for a week, Brad. Avoided me.”

“You ignored me first, Elizabeth.”

I lean on my car for support, exhausted from this back and forth.

“Not on purpose Brad. But this—” My lips tremble and I can feel the sting of tears threatening to spill over. “What you’ve been doing? It’s intentional. I didn’t set out to hurt you. However, you? Your intent is to get back at me. To make me hurt the way you hurt. If you don’t see the problem with that? I can’t help you.”

I push off my car, open it. I rest a hand on the doorframe, tossing my bag inside.

“And honestly, I don’t want to.” My voice cracks but I ignore it. I keep going.

“I’m not angry. I’m just disappointed. You were the last person on earth who I thought would hurt me.”

“You hurt me too.”

I nod. “I know and I’m sorry about that. I’ve apologized more than times than necessary.”

“Why? Why did you—”

Now he wants to talk? No.

I shake my head. “You don’t deserve my truth any more than I deserve your love.”

My gaze falls on the ring on my left hand that’s resting on the car door.

He follows my eyes and I swear I hear him catch his breath, but I can barely hear anything from my heart pounding so loudly in my chest. I bite my lip to keep from sobbing out loud, but a tear rolls down my cheek just as I’m pulling the ring off.

“Sometimes forever isn’t promised in love. It’s promised in friendship.”

I take his hand and I place the ring in his palm. Close it.

“Maybe someday we can claim friendship again. But not today.”

He’s staring at his hand flexing around the ring unable to look at me.

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