“Go ahead and talk.” His response was ice-cold.
Despite his rough exterior, I didn’t miss the way he drank me in from head to toe. Something flashed through his eyes. Familiarity and recognition. He remembered.
“I know you probably don’t care about anything I have to say, but I need you to know how sorry I am for what happened. I hate myself for betraying you that way. I know it was fucked, and I never should’ve done it. If I could take it all back, I would.”So badly I wanted to touch him. To throw myself in his arms and kiss him.
Stray casually sipped his drink. He arched a brow, nodding with disinterest as I spoke. “Is that all?”
I fully believed he was entitled to his feelings. However, he was being a total asshole. Couldn’t we discuss this like grown adults?
“Yeah, I guess so. I get that you’re mad, Stray, but do you really have to be such a dick about it? Can’t we talk about this?”
Upon closer inspection, Stray’s pupils were incredibly wide. More so than they should’ve been since we were standing near the church in the light from the open door. They had a glassy effect as well that told me he was on more than alcohol. Maybe this wasn’t such a good time to talk.
“I don’t think I have anything else to say to you,” he said. “I was head over heels for you, Codie. You made me feel things I’ve never felt before. The more you pushed me away, the more I knew I had to make you mine. Everything changed when you screwed me over with Venom. I don’t think I could ever trust you again. Don’t worry about the blackmail material. I destroyed all of it. Nobody will ever see it. You’re safe. Have a nice life. You finally got what you wanted. I won’t be in it.”
He left me standing there feeling like the rug had been pulled out from under me. Like my entire world was coming apart. I watched him walk away, disappearing into the throng of people. I felt like a fool. Why had I even bothered to try?
I dumped out the rest of my drink, tossing the cup into one of the garbage cans near the church. Without a word to the girls, I headed for the road. There was no reason for me to hang around. That would only hurt worse. I ordered a ride through my phone, deciding to wait by myself. I didn’t want to talk to anyone right now.
A large decorative rock sat at the edge of the church property near the road. I leaned against it, watching for headlights as I waited for my ride. The fall night air, along with Stray’s rejection, left me chilled. I briskly rubbed my arms in a futile effort to warm myself.
Now was the time to go home and drown my sorrows. Stuff my face with junk food. Take a bubble bath. Listen to music about lost love and moving on.
None of that stuff would do a damn thing to make me feel better. Going through the motions might help make me feel like I was at least trying to get over him. I’d never felt this way about anyone before. I’d never really had my heart broken.
Despite how much it hurt, the conversation with Stray had made it abundantly clear that whatever we were was now over. Hopefully, I would find some kind of closure in that. Right now it didn’t feel like I would ever be able to see him without hurting. How fucking pathetic.
Headlights suddenly lit up the darkness. I stood up, thinking it was my ride. I paused to cast a forlorn glance back at the party. That moment of distraction was all it took for Noah and Colt to get out of the vehicle and grab me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
STRAY
Somehow, I’d known that Codie would show up tonight. Part of me had hoped that she would stay away. I knew that if I saw her, it would make me weak. Nobody knew how hard I’d worked for the last two weeks to shut her out.
Several times I’d caught myself driving past her apartment building. I’d forced myself to delete the pictures and videos I had of her. Fuck that hurt. Even though I hadn’t had a chance to remove the tracking device from her car, I’d deleted the app.
She wasn’t mine anymore. I needed to let her go.
I thought that the pain from the accident had been bad enough. Then she’d come to the hospital and told me that she’d gone to Venom for help getting rid of me. There was nothing worse that she could’ve said than that.
How could she do that to me? I’d started to fall in love with her. Now I knew why love was a fool’s game. Maybe Rebel had gotten lucky. That wasn’t going to happen for me.
Having her corner me at the party and tell me how sorry she was had seriously tested my resolve. Did she have to look so fucking amazing? Did she have to look like mine?
I knew that if I didn’t walk away, I would give in. I would forgive her anything just to have her in my arms again. To have her beneath me, moaning my name.
I could forgive a lot of things. I couldn’t forgive this. Venom had tried to kill Dominik and me that night. This was too much. Codie had gone too far. Even though I knew that they would have taken a shot at us regardless, it still cut too deep. She wanted to hurt me, and she succeeded on every level.
“Didn’t go well?” Casper signed when I joined him and the others.
My head swam from the cocktail of drugs and alcohol I had stuffed into my system. A little weed and a few lines of blow. Anything to numb out. The blow wasn’t really doing it for me. I needed something that would help me sleep for a week instead.
“Not really. She said she was sorry. I believe her, but I think it’s too late now.” I glanced at Auryn, expecting him to say something loudmouthed and brash. To bust my balls for being so hung up on this girl.
When he had nothing to add, I almost felt worse. Had I really become so pitiful that my friends couldn’t even muster a clever insult or snide remark? Fuck, this really was bad.
Rebel slung an arm around my shoulders, steering me away so it was only the two of us. “I know it’s none of my business, but do you think that maybe you’re overreacting about this? Venom would’ve made a move no matter what. We both know that. Codie just gave them an excuse to move faster.”
