The house is quiet when I walk in. Too quiet.
Ashton is in the kitchen, making dinner.
"Hey, Sutton."
"Hey." I can't meet his eyes.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine."
"You don't look fine."
I don't respond. What am I supposed to say? That his best friend broke my heart, and I'm barely holding it together?
Crew bounces in, oblivious. "Hey, Sutton! Did you hear about Declan's amazing—" He stops when Ashton elbows him hard in the ribs. "Ow! What?"
"Read the room, idiot," Ashton hisses.
Crew's face falls. "Oh. Right. Sorry, Sutton.”
"It's fine." I brush past them toward the stairs. "Excuse me."
Pierce is coming down as I'm going up. He flattens himself against the wall to let me pass, his eyes carefully averted.
They all know.
Of course, they all know. They’re his best friends. They all knew about the potential offer and didn’t tell me.
I’m the outsider here.
Declan's door is closed.
I want to knock. I want to burst in and demand answers. I want to scream and cry and make him understand how much he hurt me.
But I don't.
I go to my own room and close the door.
He didn’t text me and accuse me of cheating on him with Cole. He didn’t say I hurt him.
He just gave up.
There's a soft knock on my door.
My heart leaps.
"Come in."
It's Ashton.
Disappointment crashes through me.
"Hey," he says gently. "Dinner is ready.”
He's holding a plate of spaghetti. The gesture is so kind that it makes me want to cry again.
"Thank you." I take the plate even though I can't imagine eating.
