Neil swallowed, taking another step back.
Jack bent to my ear. “You can be done here. You don’t have to keep talking to him.”
The last of my tension faded away as I leaned into Jack. “I think that might be best. We’re going to go, Neil.”
“No!” Neil shouted, an echo of his first reaction when we’d broken up, and I winced. He didn’t keep repeating ‘no’ this time, more words falling out in a frantic stream instead. “I’m sorry. God, I’m sorry, Hailey. I messed up that morning. I know I did, but I was just so desperate to show you—”
“You don’t know,” I interrupted, watching his eyebrows pull together in confusion. “You were about to make excuses again. To tell me it wasn’t that bad. It was. I can’t be with you anymore. I don’t trust you. You broke that.”
“Just let me fix it,” he begged.
“You can’t fix it.” Jack’s warmth seeped into my skin, steadying my voice. “You can’t. Not after what you said. Not after what you did to my records.” My eyes burned. “You knew they were the only thing I had from the Millers. You knew howimportant they were to me. How long did it take you to break them all?”
“I didn’t—”
“Don’t lie! I know it was you.” My hands trembled, and I reached up to touch Jack’s hands on my shoulders. “How could you have done that? Someone who loved me wouldn’t have done that to me.”
Neil began to cry. “Idolove you, Hailey. I swear I do.”
I watched the tears drip down his face, blinking my own back. “That’s not the kind of love I want. I deserve better.”
“You deserve?” Neil wiped at his face. “Look what you’ve done to me! You hurt me first. So I hurt you back.” He smiled, his eyes suddenly dry. “You held the Millers up on such a damn pedestal. How did it feel, finding those precious records in pieces?”
Jack made a sound in his throat, beginning to release me, but I tightened my hands on his, keeping them on my shoulders. I stared at the man laughing in front of me, laughing at my pain. “Neil…” I breathed out, seeing him, finally seeing the real him. The memory of who I thought he was shattered.
“Did you cry? I bet you did. I wish I could have seen your face.”
My throat burned. “Let’s go,” I choked out, relieved when Jack followed me without a word, his presence at my back creating a welcome barrier between me and the person I never really knew.
My eyes blurred. I couldn’t drive if I was crying. I needed to push it away for now, choking on the held back sob.
“Give me your keys,” Jack murmured, his hands on my shoulders guiding me toward the passenger side of my car.
“How long did it take? Is that what you asked?” Neil shouted after me.
I glanced at him, and his smile grew wider as he looked at the tears on my face.
“Not as long as you’re thinking. You know why? I’ve been breaking those records for years. You never knew, did you? I kept waiting for you to find one. When was the last time you even played one? But you loved the Millers so much, didn’t you?”
Jack pulled open the passenger door, urging me inside.
“But your truck,” I choked out, my breath hitching.
“I’m driving you home.” Jack’s jaw was tight as he held down his hand for my keys.
My hand trembled as I passed them to him.
Jack was in the driver’s seat quickly. Neil continued to shout, but it was only a thrumming noise in my already pounding head. I closed my eyes so I didn’t have to see him while Jack backed out of the driveway.
Despite my efforts, my crying filled the car on the drive back to my apartment. I kept the sobs muffled by my hand as tears dripped from my tightly shut eyes. By the time Jack parked, I was down to sniffles, but my body had started to shake.
Jack came around, undoing my seat belt and pulling me out of the car and into his arms. “I’ve got you,” he murmured, carrying me to my apartment.
I pressed my aching face against his chest, the soft warmth of his T-shirt soothing.
Soon we were on the couch together, and I was cuddled up against him, my arms limp around his neck as his hands rubbed soothing paths up and down my back. “It’s okay. You’re going to be okay,” he murmured against my hair.
I’d stopped crying somewhere along the way. My head still pounded, and I could hear Neil’s laughter in my mind. I drew in a shaky breath, pushed off Jack’s chest, and pressed my fingers to my puffy cheeks. “I’m sorry. I’m such a mess.”
