Because I love you too much, Leon.
It made no fucking sense. Why the fuck would she do that if she loved me?
But I couldn’t question the sincerity in her words. Not when the truth had been shining in her eyes for every fucker to see.
There’d been pain there as well. It wasn’t just my heart she’d broken.
She’d broken hers, too.
I just didn’t fucking know why.
I shook my head in anguish. “I need to get out of here.”
Ren said nothing, strolling toward his car and getting inside. I followed and sank down into the passenger seat, my head a chaotic mess of confusion.
And euphoria.
Because I fucking knew I could forget everything else. Everything before and after I love you. I could forget it all.
The question was whether I should.
Or if she even wanted me to.
***
“Hi.”
Riley's quiet voice followed the sound of the trailer door gently clicking into place.
“Hey,” Ren murmured, rising to greet her.
I kept my head tucked into my chest, eyes closed, my breaths even.
“Is he okay?”
“What do you think?”
Riley dragged in a breath of air but didn't respond.
“Is she going to talk to him?”
“I don't know,” she murmured quietly.
“She can't just fucking do that to him—”
“She's got a lot going on right now,” Riley snapped, immediately rising in defense of her best friend. And I loved her for it. I opened my eyes as Ren sighed and perched down on the edge of the table, pulling Riley in between his legs. His head dipped to rest in the crook of her neck as he wrapped his arms tight around her waist and hers folded around his neck.
They stayed locked like that for a few minutes, neither moving, neither speaking.
Until I did.
“I need you to tell me what the fuck's going on, Ri.”
Ren's head came up and Riley's spun to me, her big, green eyes wide in her face. She held my gaze for a beat before lowering hers. But not before I noticed the conflict raging in it.
“She asked me not to, Le.”
I pushed forward in the chair, spreading my thighs, and dropping my hands between them. I looked up at her and nodded slowly. “But you want to tell me?”