Page 46 of Past

Harley would make us break up. I know he would do anything to save his brother from any harm, and as much as I never want Elliot harmed, I can’t make him leave me again. I just can’t.

“Just be careful, Allie. Also, how did you get that ringtone stuck on Elliot’s phone?” Harley asks me.

“Oh, it’s an app. It changes the ringtone back, and it just looks like a game app. So even when Elliot buys a new iPhone, it sends the app over. That ringtone is never not going to be funny. I have no plans to tell him,” I say, and Harley laughs.

“I think I need to borrow this app for Luke’s phone. The little shit keeps eating my salted caramel chocolates. He doesn’t even like them, he just does it to piss me off. Can you send me the link later?” he asks, and I nod, laughing.

“I have something for you both,” Harley say and pulls out a drawer in his huge desk, looking in it as I wait. He hands me an envelope.

“What is it?”

“Open it.” He laughs.

Inside are some school photos, one of me and Elliot when we were around eight. We were both laughing, and Elliot was pulling a pigtail of mine. I used to love pigtails when I was that age. The rest are our school photos, we used to sit together, until he started hating me.

“When were these taken? I don’t even remember this day.”

“It says ‘sports day’ on the back. I found a box of photos in the spare room the other day when I was sorting it out. I don’t know who took them and printed them, but I thought you would like that one.”

“I really do, thank you, Harley,” I say, slipping it into my bag.

“A cake would be a great thank you,” Harley suggests.

“You Kings are all the same. It’s all about food with you guys.” I shake my head, standing up.

“Lemon cake is my favourite. With icing,” he replies, not caring.

“I like you, Harley King. I might even add a casserole in as well.”

“Welcome to the family, Allie,” he says with a laugh as I walk out.

Chapter 20

Elliot

"Black coffee and one of those peanut cupcakes, thanks," I say to the woman behind the counter at the local coffee shop.

"Always the same order,” a sweet voice says behind me, and I turn to see my ex, Lily, smiling up at me.

"Yours is a mocha, right?" I ask, remembering her favourite drink. Despite the fact I wasn't with her for the right reasons, I did try to be good to her.

"Yep." She smiles, looking happy.

"Hey, can I have a Mocha too?" I turn, asking the woman who, again, just nods before walking off.

"Thanks. You didn't need to do that," Lily says, looking down.

"I know," I say quietly, feeling guilty about how things were between us. I led her on for years, knowing I would never love her. That she was just a distraction.

"Can we talk?" she asks, taking her drink off the side while I pay.

"Sure." I glance at her before taking my stuff over to a seat. Lily sits opposite me, looking nervous.

"You all right?" I ask, having no idea why she wants to talk.

"Yes, I guess. I'm just sorry. Look, I shouldn't have cheated on you. I always knew why you were with me, and I wanted someone to actually want me first."

"Right. No, you shouldn't have, but what I did was just as bad. I shouldn't have used you like that, and I'm sorry, too," I say before taking a sip of my hot drink.I have actually cheated on her over the years. Not because I wanted to, but because they paid my father for me. I hated myself for it, but I never went looking for anyone else until we broke up. It only happened a handful of times, and I was lucky because I know Harley had it worse.

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