She swats the tears falling from her eyes away.
“Did you tell her about the pot brownies?”
She nods. “I’m sorry, Tucker. We didn’t know each other the way we do now. I hated you for taking my virginity and treating me like trash.”
“Because you are trash,” I growl, pushing myself up from the table. “You could have ruined my hockey career. You could have ruined my fucking life.”
“Like it would have affected you,” she hisses. “Guys like you are untouchable. You have everything. People like me, we have nothing. We have to work for everything we have and still live in poverty. So don’t pretend to understand my motives. I never thought I would get close to you. I never planned to take things this far.”
“Don’t worry because you’ll never get near me again.” I lift my bag from the desk and sling it over my shoulder. “We’re done, Sam. I can’t fucking look at you. You make me sick.”
She attempts to hold my hand, and I step back to create space between us. We went from our highest high to our lowest low in minutes. She’s not the person I thought she was. It’s like dating Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, two distinct personalities merged into one person.
“Tucker, please,” Sam whimpers, sniffing back the tears. “I love you.”
“I can’t do this. Not anymore.”
I turn away from her, wishing the last twenty minutes never happened as I descend the stairs to the first floor.
Chapter 25
Sam
Eden holds me against her chest, rocking me as the tears slide down my cheeks. I haven’t stopped crying. Hours have passed with us in the same position. She leans against the wall to support our weight, and I move with her, gripping the comforter between my fingers. My chest hurts from crying. I’ve rubbed my eyes raw from blotting the tears. But I brought this upon myself.
I should have told Tucker when I had the chance. There were plenty of times to reveal the truth to him.
“He called me trash,” I mutter, my voice muffled by tears.
I’ve replayed the same thing repeatedly for the last hour. It was the meanest thing anyone had ever said to me.
“You’re not trash, Sam.” Eden cradles my head and shushes me. “Just let it all out. Forget about what he said. He’ll get over it.”
“He hates me,” I whine. “He will never talk to me. And how can I blame him?”
“He didn’t get expelled. None of his friends got in trouble for anything in those posts. He can’t be mad forever. If he loves you, he will forgive you.”
“I doubt it,” I shoot back. “You should have seen the look in his eyes.”
“Give him some time. What would you do if you found out he did the same thing to you?”
I rub beneath my eyes and lean back against the wall next to Eden.
“Would you stop talking to him?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Probably.”
“You love him.”
“Yes.”
“So, you would forgive him at some point.” She flashes a closed-mouth smile. “Tucker will, too. But give him space.”
“I only called him once.”
“And sent him five text messages.”
I sigh and slump against the wall. “Okay, I see your point. I’m a loser chasing after a man who doesn’t want her.”
