Page 20 of All For You Duet

Why?

He’s here with her, not me. That hurts—much more than my ankle.

But he’s binding my injury, my pain, careful with my flesh like a relic he’s cherishing.

Who is he now?

A cocky celebrity heartthrob or the love who used to rub my feet?

He’s gently wrapping around me time and again like he does my mind, at least every hour, of every day, for ten years. I never stopped thinking about him.

Guess he did, though. Drunk or high, he forgot about me.

For four years, he soared to success with his series “Romeo Returns,” landing him in every horny heart and then on the big screen with one blockbuster after another.

My favorite’s the movie he made about a homeless teen who surfs his way to success and love. It reminds me of us, but I’ll never admit that to him.

No, we don’t say a word. We just spin, swirling together in pain and lust. And maybe our love is still inside him, somewhere?

“They even followed us on our first date,” Angie drones on. “He took me to an ice cream shop in Malibu.”

Redix winces, closing his eyes before they flick back to mine. Because he sees it, he feels it across my flesh. My shock of pain at what Angie just said.

That was our thing… and that hurt.

So. Damn. Much.

My ankle. My heart. My god, I can’t take it.

“I’m fine.” Kicking away his finished touch, anger surges me to my feet.

Mama’s voice fills the raw air between us. “Are you staying for barbecue?”

Usually, I would. On nights I don’t go out, scoring a one-night distraction from the ego Redix battered, I visit with Mama, especially lately, given how sick she’s been.

“No, thank you.” I glare at Redix. “I’d only throw it back up.”

Pride hides my pain as every part of me feels bruised in his presence.

It’s not fair. How many times can someone break your heart?

Redix stands up, scolding me. “Don’t be rude to your mother.”

It’s on. It’s war—words fire like canons from my mouth.

“Rude?” Six foot four, and he doesn’t intimidate me. “You won Best Actor in Rude, Redix Dean. Coming back here like you’re morally superior. Where were your morals when you made your mom lie to me, making up stories about why you weren’t calling me back or even texting me? Not once.”

He’s glaring, seething. “Stop it, Cade.”

“No, I won’t stop, and I didn’t then. I kept asking her, begging her to have you call me until it broke her heart.” I glance at his mom at the table. Tears are in her eyes. They’re in mine too. “Until she had to tell me the truth. That you didn’t wanna speak to me again, and that hurt us both so much. It should’ve been you, man enough to tell me, but no, you made your mom do it, and your sister too.”

“You need to chill out.”

Angie finally speaks to me.

That was a mistake.

Three excruciating steps her way; I don’t feel them as I’m about to clothesline her neck. “You need to mind your fucking business.” I sneer closer. “Do you even know what happened between me and Redix?”

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