I’m out for blood.
And not mine.
Theirs.
Throwing my phone into the bottom of my bag, I turn off my car and pause when it starts to ring.
It’s him.
Again.
Closing my eyes, I lean my head against the steering wheel and let my tears fall onto my legs. I shouldn’t have broken up with him. Maybe I should have given him the time he asked for, but I can’t. I want to be number one. I deserve to be number one, and for the last month, I thought I was his number one. Sitting up, I wipe my face and push the door open, getting out.
“Why can’t you just talk to me?”
Whipping my head to the left, I find Jace coming toward me and I shake my head. “Take a hint, Jace. I don’t want to talk to you.”
I start for my dorm, walking a little faster than I normally would, but I can’t do this. He hurt me. He went behind my back, contacted an ex to catch me in a so-called lie? I didn’t do anything wrong. I know what happened—hell, I’m the only one who knows the damn truth—and he didn’t believe me.
“I love how you’re mad at me when I did nothing wrong. You’re the one who lied.”
“I didn’t lie,” I yell back at him. “I didn’t volunteer it. And I’m not mad, I’m hurt. You broke my heart. Now leave me the hell alone.”
Walking a little faster, I hear him trying to catch up. But bless him, his leg is injured and I feel bad. I wanted to spend the day taking care of him, loving him, before I left. Instead, that all went to shit.
“Are you really gonna make me chase you? My leg is hurt, Avery. Take pity on the disabled.”
He’s trying to be funny. Trying to make me laugh so I’ll talk to him, but no. Just no. “Leave me alone, Jace. You wanted time, you got it.”
“I don’t want time without you. I just wanted to think it through.”
“Good luck with that,” I yell back at him, wrapping my arms around myself to keep warm.
“I don’t get it. I mean, shit, don’t you understand that this is scary? Like, the whole thing. I fell so hard, and after I fell, I find all your dirty laundry. It’s insane.”
“Whatever, Jace. Dirty laundry or not, you said you loved me. Who is the one who’s really lying?”
As I reach the door, I hear him dragging his leg like a zombie. I want to laugh at the hilarity of him hobbling after me, dragging his bum leg, but I can’t. It only makes me cry harder. If he loves me this much, then why is he scared? What the hell is there to be scared of when all we need is each other? He’s right; it isn’t fair.
Running up the stairs because I know he can’t make it up them, I’m out of breath before I reach my room. When I open the door, Mekena is sitting on the bed, a blanket wrapped around her and a book in her lap.
“Avery? Are you okay?” she asks, sitting up, and I slam the door before locking it. I go to walk away, but then I pause, putting the chain on too. Just for good measure. I doubt he’d do something stupid, but no telling. Love brings out the crazy in people.
I know that firsthand.
“No,” I admit, throwing my bag on my bed before going to my closet for my suitcase.
“What happened?”
Before I can answer, a banging comes at the door. “Avery, let me in.”
Shaking my head, I chance a glance at Mekena and her eyes are wide. “What the hell?” she mouths and I shrug.
“We broke up,” I say before angrily throwing things in my bag.
“Um, no. You broke up with me.”
Mekena’s eyes move from the door to me. “You did what?”