His eyes are hard, unwavering when he asks, “What the fuck are you doing here, douchebag?”
Alrighty then. This guy clearly doesn’t like me, and that’s okay, I don’t like him much either.
“It’s none of your fucking business.”
Linc gets out of the car, but Ryan doesn’t take his eyes off me.
“You good, Christian?”
“I’m good.”
Ryan laughs. “Like fuck you’re good, and it is my business. Maize is one of my best friends, and she deserves better than you. I knew you were a dick back in high school, and once a dick, always a dick. Why don’t you get back in your fancy Jeep and drive back to wherever the fuck you came from.”
I have no idea what’s up his ass, and at the moment I don’t care. I just want to talk to Maize. I take a deep breath to keep my shit together, turn toward the house in time to see a curtain flutter.
“Is she inside?”
“She doesn’t want to see you.”
I glare at him. “You don’t fucking know that.”
He snorts. “Ask her.”
I push past him and head toward the house, but the second I reach her steps, my phone pings, and I read the message from Maize.
Please go.
I stand there for a long time, just staring at my phone. It’s crazy how two simple words have the ability to wrap around my heart and tear it clear from my chest. But this can’t be right. It just can’t be. We had a good thing. A great thing.
The best thing.
I have no idea how many minutes pass as I stand there on rubbery legs, my brain racing, but the next thing I know, a hand lands on my shoulder. I flinch, ready to turn and punch Ryan square in the face, when I find Linc standing there, the solemn look on his face hitting me over the head with a reality stick.
“Christian we need to go.”
I turn, and the world blurs around me as Linc hops into the driver’s seat. Walking on numb legs while Ryan continues to curse me out, I slide into the passenger seat, my lungs so tight, it’s hard to breathe.
Ryan walks toward Maize’s front door, and I reach for the handle, the sight filling me with blind rage. Linc grabs my arm to stop me.
“Don’t make this worse,” he says, and a good five seconds pass before I let the handle go, and nod.
“Get me out of here.”
Linc backs out of the driveway, and heads toward home. “Where to?”
“Fuck,” I swear and rake my hands through my hair. I grab my phone again and stare at her message. “I have no idea what’s going on.”
“Believe me, I know exactly how you feel.”
I rub at the back of my neck, a headache brewing. “Yeah, I know, and I’m sorry you do.”
He scoffs. “What a team we make. Want to hit up the bar, get shit-faced?”
“I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.”
“Maybe a hot girl will help you get your mind off Maize.”
“Did it work for you?”
He casts me a fast glance. “Only temporarily, but maybe that’s what you need.”
“Yeah…maybe.”
26
Maize
With the late morning sun shining down on me, I wave goodbye to Mom as she stands at the door, with the promise that I’ll be back right after spring finals. It’s hard to leave, considering I haven’t been home for long, but it’s necessary. I slide into the passenger seat and glance at Kaitlyn. Her eyes are a bit heavy, dark smudges beneath them, and she’s still rather pale.
“You don’t have to come back with me.”
She holds a finger up. “One, you’re my best friend and I’m not letting you take a bus, so yeah, I do.” A second finger joins the first. “Two, if he’s there, I don’t want you fucking facing him alone.” A third finger joins the mix. “And three, I am done with all the food and family, and a million questions about my life. I just want to crawl into my own bed and sleep for two days.”
I buckle up as she tightens her ponytail. “Are you sure you shouldn’t go to the doctor?”
“I will, when we get back to campus. If I go here, Mom will freak out and make me take six million vitamins.”
I laugh at that, even though inside I’m dead. My mind drifts to Christian, to the way he took care of me when I was down and out. He didn’t fill me with vitamins, but he did make sure I had plenty to eat, took me to my appointments and paid my bills and expenses, which I plan to pay back, every last cent. With everything he’s done for me, I honestly wouldn’t have believed a word Chelsea said if I hadn’t seen the two of them in his bed with my own eyes.
Stop. Stop. Stop.
I’ve cried enough, and I refuse to shed one more tear for a guy who could do that to me. I’m not sure why he bothered to come to my house Christmas eve. Maybe it was for one last ‘other side of the tracks hook-up’ before he announced he was with Chelsea. Anyway, none of that matters anymore, and there was no salvaging Christmas at that point.
I tried. I really did. But it was a struggle to put on a happy face Christmas morning in front of my Mom, and when I broke the news I was leaving today, she accepted it without question. She’s smart enough to realize something is going on with me, and I appreciate her not pressing for information. But I wanted to get back early, before Christian, so I can clear the last of my things from his place and leave the key behind. I sit back and listen to the radio, and Kaitlyn casts me a glance.
“I’m here if you want to talk.” Her voice is low, soft, concerned.
“I know. I think I would
