Undone (Wild Men 2)

“And love isn’t love until it is. Cherish what you have, dude.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t have Hailey.”

“You’re not trying to get her back, man.”

“And what would you know about love, huh?”

A shadow passes over his gaze, and I don’t have to ask to know that there’s a story he has never told me. I won’t ask.

That shadow looks a lot like sadness and regret, and I have enough of my own right now.

Because, fuck, why did Hailey have to go? Why did she have to stab me in the back?

And why is this guy intent on breaking me all over again with all these goddamn questions?

I stalk to my room to change for the gym. Still time to punch the hell out of that bag and pretend it’s my own face.

“You should call her, Kaden!” he hollers after me, and I lift my hand to give him the finger as I stumble into my room and stare blindly at my open closet.

What’s the use of listening? I never listen. Stubborn as a one-horned bull, my dad used to say.

Which is probably why I should have seen it all coming…

Chapter Four

Hailey

Hey. I’ve been meaning to tell you this. I accidentally took with me the T-shirt you wore in bed. You know, the one that says ‘Hailey Shit’? I mean I bought it for you and… Anyway, it was a mistake. I will send it back. I’ve just been busy, and I wanted…

[unsent text message]

“Trent,” I hiss into my phone, “stop calling me!”

“You want me back, Hailey, admit it. You were happy we talked yesterday.”

“No, I wasn’t!” The lady sitting beside me in the dentist’s waiting room gives me a reprimanding look, and I turn away, lowering my voice to an almost non-existent whisper. “I wasn’t.”

Oh God, why did I ever think that answering one of his calls would convince him to leave me alone?

And even worse, why does his voice remind me of good moments and make me wish to have them back? I mean, he’s right, we had some great times.

Right up until he put his dick into my cousin and kept doing it until I found out. By chance. So why am I even thinking of the bright spots in the fraud that was our relationship?

Jeez. I’m weak.

I’m lonely.

“…meet up at your place,” Trent is saying, and I blink, the waiting room with its stark white walls and gray seats coming back into focus. “Watch a movie, drink some wine. Relax.”

“I…” I close my mouth, images of me and Trent on the couch hitting me like a ton of bricks. We used to do that. A lot.

Holy shit, am I that desperate to say yes? As if I don’t know what kind of guy Trent really is?

I ignore as best I can other images – of me and Kaden sitting on his couch, doing anything but watching TV.

Touching.

Kissing.