This isn’t happening. Now I’m sure this is a dream—no, a nightmare, because my Gabriel wouldn’t do this. He loves me.
“It’s done.” He scoffs, starting to walk away.
Grabbing his arm, my voice cracks as I say, “Please don’t do this.”
He sighs, bringing his eyes back to me. “I’m not doing anything. Summer’s almost over, anyways.”
“So?” My brows pinch. “What, this was just some fling foryou?”
I know it wasn’t.
He’s mine. I don’t know why he’s doing this, but I know we weren’t just a fling!
“Yeah.” His eyes drop to the ground, and for a second, I think he’s going to change his mind. The man I know flickers under the surface for a moment.
“No, it wasn’t,” I snarl, my lip curling.
Then he’s gone again. Back to that damn indifference. “I’m sorry if you thought it was more than that.”
I stare blankly at him for a second before shouting, “I didn’t think it was more than that. Itwasmore! And you know it!”
“I’m not dealing with this fucking drama. Just go home.”
When he starts to walk away again, I chase after him, gritting my teeth from the pain. My heart pounds against my ribs like it’s trying to get out, and maybe it is because it belongs with him.
“Gabriel!” I grab his arm, then slap his chest with a wetsmackbefore shoving him backward.
He stumbles back a few steps, before continuing toward his truck, his jaw ticing. “Ash, stop.”
The sound of the rain hitting the pavement is so loud. Why is it so loud! I can’t even hear myself think. It’s just the goddamn rain and my thundering heart.
As he reaches his truck, I let out a scream, bending at the waist. Am I losing my mind? I can hear how out of control I sound, but it’s like I can’t stop it. It’s all happening too fast.
I charge toward him, ripping him back by the arm until his back is against the truck.
“Don’t you dare leave. Say you love me!” I choke as I say, “Tell me you fucking love me!”
His face is cold when he speaks, words rollingoff his tongue without a trace of emotion. “It wasn’t real. I don’t love you. I never loved you, Ash.”
“No!” Raising a hand, I try to slap him.
“Stop!” He grabs my wrist. “Just fucking stop. It’s pathetic.”
Everything crashes down around me as anger rages in my veins, but it can’t exceed the crippling pain. My skin pulses like there’s something under the surface about to explode. I’m a tea kettle, and if he walks away from me, I’m going to blow.
Tearing my wrist from him, I say, “Pathetic? You know what’s pathetic? That you can’t admit you love me too. I don’t know why you’re pretending you don’t!”
“Because I don’t! Why don’t you fucking get it? You were a great fuck. That’s it. Just go!”
I stumble back a step, pointing at him. “Fuck you! You’re a liar!”
“Yeah, and you’re a fucking child.” He climbs into his truck.
No.
No.
I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean any of it. Please come back.
