I nod. “I was already in love with him.”
He thinks it over, then shoots me a strange look. “Did anything ever happen between you two?”
“When?”
“In high school. Before I asked you to the ball. Actually... did anything happen before me and Vincent gave you Fleur?”
I get up, confused. “Why are you asking me this?”
“Answer me. I need to know how badly I have to kill that dickhead.”
I grab his shoulder, trying to calm him, but he’s furious. “Why would you even say that? Why would you hurt him?”
“Nova, did anything happen before we gave you Fleur?” he demands again, gripping my shoulders.
“I—I... yes. Since July ninth.” The admission slips out.
Steve lets go of me, sitting heavily on the bed, staring at the floor.
“What’s going on?” I whisper.
“He started acting strange after that day, didn’t he? After the day we gave you Fleur?”
I don’t understand why he keeps pressing. “Yes... but why?”
“Because that day I told Vincent I was in love with you. I asked him if it was okay for me to make a move on you.”
His words hit me like a boulder, knocking the air from my lungs. I sink to the floor, staring at him. “And he didn’t tell you about us, did he?”
Steve shakes his head. “That year, I found out I had the same kind of tumor my grandmother died from. He was the only one who knew. That’s why I never wanted to hang out when you asked. When I told him I loved you, the anniversary of mygrandmother’s death was coming up. I think he stepped back because he didn’t want to hurt me, Nova.”
Maybe he didn’t hurt Steve. But he destroyed me.
“Idiot.”
I storm to my nightstand, pull out a box of Vincent’s photos, and dump them onto the floor. My hands rip, crumple, tear. I stomp them into the ground. I don’t want to see him ever again.
Idiot. Coward. Bastard. He ruined everything.
“Nova, stop!”
Steven rushes to me, grabbing my arms.
“Let me go! I hate him. He’s disgusting. I never want to see anything that reminds me of him. He’s just a coward!”
I fight against his grip, but he’s stronger. My cheeks are wet with tears, my throat burns, and my chest aches so badly I can’t breathe.
“You’ll regret this. Stop!”
I know. “Let me go!”
He tries to hug me, but I push at him. “Nova, please. Stop. He loves you. He’s always loved you.”
“No, he didn’t! Not enough. He’ll never love me enough to stay, to choose me. He choseyou!” I scream.
He lifts me into his arms, dragging me away from the ruined pictures. “You would’ve done the same in his place. You know that.”
I shake my head violently. “N-no, I... no!”
