Claire grabs my arm, “you aren’t stupid for trusting someone you loved. He lied to you, that’s on him.”
“You shouldn’t be comforting me right now,” I tell her, voice shaking.
Steph rests her head on my shoulder, “yes, we should be. It isn’t your fault, Sash, you had no way of knowing what he was going to do.”
“Have you been thinking you’re at fault this whole time?” Claire asks me. “Have you been carrying this weight all by yourself?”
If only she knew how much I’ve been carrying these last few months. “I had no one to talk to.”
She shakes her head, giving Steph a look before they both crush me in a hug. “You have us now.”
“And we aren’t letting you go for anything,” Steph adds.
february
thirteen
DAVIS
In the span of a couple of weeks, Sasha has transformed into the person I knew she could be, the Sasha she’s hidden from everyone but me. The sarcastic, fun, kind girl who can capture anyone’s heart if she just gave them a chance to get to know her.
The more time she spends in this house, the more I fall in love with her, and the more I feel the need to bury my feelings.
She needs these people like I do, and I can’t bring myself to risk her losing them just because my heart can’t get itself under control. If we were to start something, and it ended badly, she may not have them anymore. That’s something I wouldn’t be able to live with.
I know almost nothing about this girl, but what Idoknow is that she’s a kind of broken that only time can heal. Whatever’s happened, whoever hurt her, there’s nothing I can do to help unless she lets me. She has to choose to letme in, and right now… I’m still hopelessly staring through the window from the outside.
The beer in my hands is still untouched, slowly growing warmer with every second that passes because I’m too distracted by Sasha giggling at Miller and Blair arguing in the kitchen.
“I went last time,” Miller groans, “it’s your turn, asshole.”
Blair cracks open the last can of shitty beer we have in the fridge and downs it in one go. “And I’ve officially had too much to drink, can’t drive a car under the influence,” he winks.
Miller’s face goes beet red, that ultra-soft teddy bear facade long gone as he clenches his fists at his sides.
“I can go,” Claire offers, attempting to sit up from Lucas’s lap but he pulls her back into his arms. “Really, I don’t mind,” she reassures him.
Both boys turn to her. “No,” they say simultaneously.
Sasha’s giggle fit doubles, and while she tries her hardest to hide it, it only draws their attention to the girl who has my heart in an iron grip.
It’s not until they’re both standing over her that she finally notices and bites her lip to keep herself under control. “What?” She asks innocently.
“You haven’t had a drop to drink,” Blair smirks.
“Oh boy, here we go,” August sighs. “Don’t let them convince you, Sash, this is between them and them alone.”
“Stay out of this,” Blair points accusingly.
Miller gets down on his knees —yes, his god damn knees— and starts to beg Sasha. “Please, we’re out of beer and weneedmore.”
“Yes, we need more,” Blair echoes, following in Miller’s footsteps and joining him on the ground.
“You sound like alcoholics,” Steph laughs, “no oneneedsbeer that bad.” Both of their gazes snap to her, and she holds her hands up in surrender before they turn back to Sasha.
Now, a nice guy may intervene here, and I probably would if I wasn’t thoroughly entertained by my roommates making complete ass’s out of themselves.
“Please, I’ll even give you my keys,” Blair continues, scrambling to his feet to snatch the car keys that are sitting on the counter and tossing them onto her lap.
