Broken Course (Wrecked and Ruined #3)(66)

"Fine, yes. It was messed up," I begrudgingly answer.

"Ding, ding, ding," Leo chimes before draining his beer and standing to get another one. "Which is exactly why I wanted to be alone tonight. Eli and I have entirely too much in common. The person I wronged is now my best friend." He walks to the kitchen.

"You’re not Eli!" I call out, jumping to my feet to follow him.

"I don’t think I am Eli. I just think he’s a selfish son of a bitch in a ‘Hello, kettle. You’re black’ kind of way."

"Why the f*ck are you even concerned with Eli? You want me to stop hanging out with him? Fine. Whatever it takes for you to stop acting like a brooding child. Casey is my friend though. I won’t accept you dictating my relationship with her."

"A brooding child? Jesus, aren’t you one to talk!" He laughs manically.

"So, we’re doing it like this, huh? You want to take some stabs at me to make yourself feel better? Go for it!" I swing my arms out to my sides. "But when this shit is over, you’re going to feel worse."

"God damn!" he screams so loud that it echoes off the walls, but I stand my ground.

"There you go. Get pissed. We haven’t broken your dishes yet. Have a go at them."

He shakes his head and begins to crack his knuckles. "I hate you sometimes," he fumes, but his voice cracks at the end.

"I hate you too. But only because I love you so f*cking much and you always talk shit about my boyfriend." I cross my arms and give him a pointed look. "I’m not going to sit here and try to fill your head with all the ways that what you did wasn’t wrong—even though it wasn’t. All that matters is how you feel about yourself. You know what I love about our relationship? We can forgive each other anything, but looking at ourselves in the mirror is damn near impossible. So how about this? I’ll love you and you love me. And maybe that will be enough."

"That sounds like a terrible plan," Leo responds, grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me into his chest. "How do you always make things so bearable?" he asks, kissing the top of my head.

"The same way you do it for me. When my vision tunnels, you always find a way to remove the blinders. You also have to remember I’ve been dealing with my shit a lot longer than you have. You should see the hours I’ve logged in therapy. It was my full-time job for almost two years."

He sighs, and I can feel his pulse gradually slowing in his chest.

"Any chance I can convince you to start seeing someone again?"

He laughs.

"Maybe start taking some anti-depressants?" I continue. "I think they would help you a lot."

"Seeing someone, yes. Drugs, no." He releases me but only long enough to grab my hand and guide me back over to the couch.

"Can you at least agree to explain to me why?"

When he lets out an exasperated sigh, I quickly amend my statement.

"Not tonight. Maybe next week. We’ve done enough talking for one Thursday night. Hell, maybe even an entire month of Thursdays."

"Yeah. Next week," he mumbles then places a gentle kiss on my lips.

I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s not going to be that easy to get him to explain this one though.





Emma: So apparently Kara and Hunter are back together. Are you going to freak if she comes to Collin’s birthday party with him?


Me: Jesse’s best friend, Kara?

Emma: Yes

Me: The one who lived with Jesse when I broke into her apartment?

Emma: Yes

Me: Yes, I’m going to freak if she comes!

My phone begins ringing in my hand and I see Emma’s name flashing onto the screen "Stop," she orders immediately.

"No way. I’m not coming if she’s there," I answer, putting the tape and scissors down.

"You’ve seen Jesse since that night and she married your ex-husband. I figured that would be way more reason to freak than Kara."

"Saying hi to Jesse is a far cry from hanging out with Kara at a twelve-person birthday party. Aren’t y’all doing a party with Brett and Jesse anyway? Invite them to that one."

"Yes, but Hunter and Alex are only in town this weekend. In my defense, I originally invited them to come up this weekend because Hunter was trying to avoid Kara. But apparently she found out he was in town and they got back together last night. I’ve spent the morning listening to him replay their sexual escapades. That girl’s a freak. I really think you’d like her." She laughs, but I find nothing humorous about this situation.

"How the hell, in a city the size of Chicago, does this group seem to be getting smaller and smaller?"

"The cool people have to stick together."

"Maybe Leo and I can just meet you guys at one of those kids’ places next week and do a mini party with just the four of us then."

"Sarah, come on. She’s nice. Plus, I asked her first and she said she would love to get to know you."

"You have no idea how awkward this is going to be for me."

"Oh stop and just promise you’ll come."

"Leo’s already on his way over here. I love the way you spring this on me fifteen minutes before we are supposed to be there."