“Lane, come on.” He eyes me. “Tell me whatreallyhappened.”
My pulse is racing. And despite everything, the words come spilling out of me. I need Cart to understand why I reacted the way I did.
“Tell me you gave her a chance to explain what she was doing in Mike’s room, at least?” he interrupts.
I don’t answer.
“Lane?” he warns.
“She hadnofucking right to be in that room!” I kick the chair between us. “I gave her a place to crash—I didn’t have to do that!”
“Is that what you told her? Because if you did, then you’re a bigger asshole than I thought. You might not see it this way, but she’s your friend.”
“I don’t give a fuck. She had no right.”
“And how is she supposed to know that, you ass? Ofcourseshe assumed she could move into that room.”
No way.I remember exactly what I told her—I mentioned my desk, and my closet.
“In all the time she stayed at my place, I never mentioned that room once. Notonce.”
“I mean it’s not like the door was covered with police tape and a big red ‘NO ENTRY’ sign, right?” Carter snorts. “She spent months here—of course she fucking noticed it. And if you never mentioned it to her, you must have said something that made her think you meant that room.”
“No. I know I didn’t.”
“Did you guys sleep together?”
I stare at him in silence.What’s the point in denying it anymore?
“Fuck.” He stares up at the ceiling. “Laney, you guys need to talk. Enough with the bullshit. It’s like you’ve built it into this crazy-ass secret, and it’s fucking stupid. Your brother died, okay? It was a tragedy, and it wasn’t fair. But—”
“I lost my shit because she was all up in my space. Everywhere, Cart.” I fling my arms in the air. “She was all over my life. First, on the anniversary of Mike’s death. Then Christmas, and the final straw was his room. She was fuckingeverywhere.”
“Oh, what a heartless bitch!” He throws his hands up. “She was the first person to drag you out of your shitty little life. She was a breath of fresh air when you needed it most—it must have been so,sohard for you!” He shakes his head, raking his hands through his hair. “You’re such a loser, Lane. And stubborn as fuck, too.”
I let it sink in, taken aback. I knew he’d go hard on me, but I wasn’t expecting this.
“You know what your problem is?” He glares at me. “Lois is the only girl who ever made you feel good. And you’re projecting all the shit you can’t handle onto her, so you don’t have to deal with your feelings.”
“I don’t have any feelings—”
“For her? I don’t believe that for a fucking second. Look at you! But you know what? Whatever, man.” He shrugs. “This is your problem—not mine. Once you get over yourself, maybe you can do a little soul-searching.” He takes a step toward me. “But if you were an asshole to her—which I get the feeling you were—my advice is go find her, and tell her you’re sorry. She’s a nice girl, Lane. And you know I’ve always got your back. But not this time.”
I stare at him.
“And honestly? The whole ‘sleeping on the couch’ thing? Yeah—that needs to stop. What were you thinking, making her live like that?”
I stand there, frozen in place. He seems to be saying the couch is like a punishment, but I just wanted her to keep on living here, and…
“Shit…”
“Yeah,” he drawls. “Shit.”
He claps a hand on my shoulder.
Once he leaves, I stand there for a second, stunned. Before I know it, I’m pulling on my jacket and heading to my car, racing down the streets and all the way to campus, where I pull up outside the place I’ve forced Lois to call home now. Carter is right. I need to apologize. I’m not sure I’ll be able to say everything I need to say in one go, but I should never have treated her that way. I know that now.
I knock on the door a few times. No answer. If I leave now, I’m scared I won’t have the balls to come back and try again, and so I sit on the stairs and wait. I’m like Lois, all those months back, when Kirk had just dumped her. Except I’m not so patient. Two hours and a few failed calls later, I head back down to the parking lot, and just as I’m about to get back in my car, I spot her.
