Her eyes go to the floor. “I’ll always love you—”
“Spare me the bullshit about how you love me but you aren’t in love with me.”
“I am. I mean, I was.” She bites her lip. “Hate me if you want. Kick me out of your house. It won’t change how I feel.” Her fingers curl around my wrist. “I want the best for you. I always have.”
“Like walking in on you with the kind of guy we used to mock?”
“I made a mistake.”
“You made a mistake?”
“I should have left as soon as I realized it. But it wasn’t just me.”
My jaw cricks. We had rough patches, same as everyone, but I always tried to smooth them.
“After I took that job with my dad…” Her eyes meet mine. “You lost respect for me.” Her gaze goes to the patio tables. Frank is sitting at the one on the left. Mutual friends fill the one on the right.
Leighton is M.I.A.
Probably pissing or something.
Or fucking Dean in his bed.
My fingers curl into fists.
I need to step back. Cool off. Destroy the part of me that cares.
A deep breath does nothing to offer clarity. Penny is still standing there, staring at me like I’m a horse with a broken leg.
Like she’s so, so sorry she’s gonna have to put me down.
Fuck that.
Fuck Dean’s vagueness.
Fuck Leighton’s secrets.
I stare at my ex. “You looked me in the eyes and asked me to strangle you if you ever decided to work for your dad.”
“When I was sixteen.”
“So?”
“People change.”
“I didn’t.”
“You ever consider that’s why this happened?”
“You decided to fuck some finance bro. Don’t put that on me.”
“He’s more than that.”
“Tall?”
“Ryan.” She folds her arms. “I’m barely five three. You think I really notice that?”
“Blond?”