I stood there long after she left.
Long after her little frame disappeared down the path, head bowed like she’d been scolded.
Because she had. By me.
My jaw clenched as I turned back toward the gate.
Miles was still there.
Different girl. New face. Same act.
He laughed at something she said, all charm, the easy grin he always used when he wanted something.
It’s pathetic.
He’s pathetic.
And yet she fell for it.
God, she’s so fucking stupid.
Why him? Why would she—out of everyone—look at someone like him and think that was safe, that was real?He’s fake. So fake it makes my skin crawl. Everything about him is polished, performed.
He flirts because he can.
Because people let him.
Because girls like her make it easy.
And she’s too naive to see it.
Dumb.
Dumb, dumb, dumb.
Just because I don’t smile? That’s it, right?
Because I don’t play pretend? Because I don’t make it easy?
I drag a hand down my face and let out a bitter laugh.
Of course. Who the hell would want the guy who doesn’t know how to make them laugh?
The guy who only knows how to push people away.
I turn, finally walking toward the parking lot, fists buried in my pockets, trying not to think about the look she gave him.
The way she looked at him was like he was the light, and I was just the shadow in the corner.
Stupid girl.
Stupid me…
The drive back was supposed to calm me down.
It didn’t.
The sky was getting darker, the streets half-empty, and I was still gripping the wheel too tightly. I wasn’t even thinking about where I was going until the red light caught me.
