Anger floods my vision as I read, and before I can stop myself, my fingers fly over the keyboard. There’s only one person who would send these fucking messages.
ME
You’re fucking delusional. I’m ignoring you because I can’t fucking stand you or myself anymore. I was never hiding anything from Charlie because there was nothing to hide.
I hate you and I wish to fucking god I never met you. I’ll spend the rest of my life regretting every minute I ever spent with you bc it’s time I could have given to the love of my life.
Fuck off, Rianna. I want nothing else to do with you. You gave me Chlamydia.
Before I can get my fingers to move fast enough to block her, another text comes through, and stupidly, I take the time to read it when I should have just deleted them all.
UNKNOWN
U can tell urself there was nothing 2 hide all u want, baby. But we both know it’s not true. U wanted me as much as I wanted u. It’s why u stayed friends w/me and let us grow closer. It’s why u told me stuff about u all & why u just brushed off all the advances I made @ u. Don’t fool urself, baby. U were in a relationship w/me from the moment we met. U just took longer to break than the others. Men are weak creatures & if u tempt them long enough w/something they desire, they’ll give in to their baser instincts. They always do bc I make sure of it. I had to ensure she wouldn’t take u back.
My brain works too fast to really process her words right now, but I'm fucking sure she just admitted to purposely exposing me to a sexually transmitted disease.
ME
Why would you give me Chlamydia? Who purposely does something like that?
UNKNOWN
Bc ur mine. I got tired of waiting for u to leave her. U belong w/me, Keaton. I’m ur future. She was just ur childhood sweetheart. U said it urself that she’s the only 1 u been with. I’m not mad @ u for ignoring me,baby. But it’s over now. Come back 2 me. I know u miss me.
A bitter laugh slips out. How did I miss the signs? Did I desire her so much that I chose to stay blind? If that’s true, it means I spent the whole time in denial about Rianna—and about myself.
ME
I don’t know how the hell I missed the signs of your craziness. Leave me the fuck alone, or I'll go to the police for harassment.
Blocking someone like Rianna probably won’t stop her, but it’s a line I need to draw for my own sanity.
There's no way she's right. The only person I was in a relationship with was Charlie.
But was I really?
How fucking sad is it that I can’t even answer that question honestly? Not even when I’m alone with myself.
Next week can’t come fast enough. I’m ready to dig through my own mind and find out where it all went wrong.
Not Ready To Make Nice
Keaton | The Past
Thebellcouldringa thousand times, and I’d still know when Charlie walks in. My palms sweat, my heart sprints, and sparks skitter across my skin. But the real sign is the way something inside me coils tight, as if my soul itself senses her significance.
I lift my head from the article Mom sent and drink in every detail as she approaches. Despite the pain I’ve caused, Charlie still radiates warmth, making others feel seen. I love that about her, and I’m grateful I haven’t managed to break that light inside her.
I stand as Charlie and Amelia approach, waiting for them to sit before passing their drinks.
The smiles that once belonged to me are gone, just another casualty in the wreckage I’ve made of my life.
Charlie grabs her phone, fiddles with the screen, and then sets it on the table.
I glance down and catch the timer ticking away. When I look back up, her blank stare hits me like a slap.
I’d expect that emptiness from Amelia, not Char. Mom warned me my betrayal would change her, and now I see it—the pain she can’t hide, the shadows under her eyes, her sharper face. Visible scars are just the start. The unseen ones are what truly scare me.
