“I… erm…” I clear my throat. “I just need to go back home for a minute.”
I don’t wait for anyone to answer me before I push my chair back and practically run out of their house and across the road. I nearly fall over the bags that West and Seb left here as I enter the house and run to my bedroom.
They’ve been coming and going at all hours of the night and day since they got here, sharing West’s old bedroom. Apparently, I took Seb’s, and he’s not too happy about that.
I flop down onto my bed, grabbing my pillow and hugging it against my body as the tears that I’ve held back since she asked me why I was here, break free.
The tears turn into sobs and I get lost in the sounds and the wetness on my face, eventually falling to sleep.
I try to block Geena out as she screams and shouts all the way back to her apartment, slamming the door as soon as I pull up to her building as she jumps out. The vibrations travel through the car and seep into my bones just before she shouts back through the car window.
“I never want to step inside those fags’ house again!”
I had sat there while she made Lexi feel like utter crap, not saying a word while I watched all of Lexi’s emotions run across her face and in the depths of her eyes. She was breaking, and all I wanted to do was reach across the table and pull her to me. To hold her against my body and tell her that everything would be okay.
But this? Attacking my dad and my pop? Not gonna fucking happen. I feel something inside of me snap and I fling my door open, shooting out of the car and running to her building, letting myself in and taking the stairs two at a time, getting to her apartment door just as she opens it.
“Enough!” I roar, causing her to widen her eyes as we step inside, the door shutting behind us with a bang.
“What—”
“I said, enough! I’ve had enough of your fucking moaning.” I take a step toward her. “I’ve had enough of you putting people down and making them feel like shit.”
“I don’t do that,” she gasps, her hand flying to her chest, her face a mask of innocence.
I laugh. “Yeah, you do.” I take another step forward. “Every fucking day I wait for your put-downs. ‘Your clothes are stupid.’ ‘Your car is ridiculous.’ ‘Look at the state of you.’”
She gasps again but I don’t let up, I continue stepping toward her. “I can put up with you putting me down, moaning about the guys—which is really fucking irritating, by the way—but when it comes to my family?” I clench my jaw, my nostrils flaring. “No one attacks my family, and what you just said out there? That sealed the deal.”
“Sealed the deal?” she asks, her voice a mere whisper.
“Calling my dad and pop fags was not okay! That ain’t happening.” I move closer, my face centimeters from hers now. “We. Are. Done.”
She stares at me for several seconds, my chest heaving as the rage continues to bubble over.
“Don’t be silly.” She shakes her head, stepping back and pulling her heels off. “Let’s order some takeout and snuggle on the sofa.”
My nostrils flare as I watch her walk into her kitchen like it’s a normal day. It’s not a normal day: today is the day I finally see her for what she really is. My head drops and I look down at the slogan on my shirt as Lexi’s soft voice batters around in my head.
“Nice shirt.” She smirks, bringing her gaze back up to mine.
My eyes widen as my body deflates. I’m so used to hearing Geena saying she hates them. “Really? You like it?”
She frowns, tilting her head to the side. “Yeah, it’s funny.”
It’s never been my shirts, it’s never been about my car that she hates. It’s all about Geena getting her own way, me bending to do as she pleases.
“Did you not hear what I said?” I thunder, whipping my head back up. “We’re done.”
“Don’t be stupid.” She rolls her eyes when she turns back to face me.
“Don’t call me stupid!” I shout. “Do you even realize how you sound arguing with me when I’m breaking up with you?”
Her face morphs into something of pain before she straightens her shoulders and raises a brow. “You think anyone else will have you, huh? Look at you!”
I rear back as if it was a physical blow, second-guessing myself at the words flying out of her mouth and her tone.
“No one… and I mean no one will want you. All you’re interested in is yourself, your computers, your fucking team!” She shrugs. “Sure, you may fuck like a champ, but that’s your only saving grace.”