My arms were pumping at my sides as I took the now familiar route to the chippy. To where Dominic would be working. Waiting to tell me that what Max had said was wrong. That he wasn’t leaving me in two weeks. That he hadn’t made a major life decision and not evenmentionedit to me. That he hadn’t listened to me planning our meet-ups come Autumn, knowing he wouldn’t make a single one of them.
It wasn’t true.
It couldn’t be.
Dom loved me. I was his Shadow. He wasn’t going to leave me behind. He wouldn’t.
“Ryan, wait!”
I ignored Max, putting my head down as I ran faster. Unfortunately, like most things, this was another area where Max excelled over me.
A heavy weight slammed into the middle of my back, sending me flying forwards. Max didn’t loosen his grip as we crashed into the ground, keeping me pinned with his weight.
“Get off,” I said furiously, throwing my elbows back as I tried to dislodge him. “Get the fuck off me, Max.”
“Not until you stop and listen.” Max grunted as my elbow connected with hard flesh. “Fucking quit it, Ry. You’re acting like a child losing his favourite toy.”
I saw red. “I’m not the one who treats Dominic like he’s a possession he doesn’t want to share.”
“Might want to tell your face that,” Max spat. Whatever softness had been in his tone a moment ago was long gone now. “You fucking sulk when he’s not giving you attention.”
“I do not sulk.”
Max sighed. “I’m getting up now, but don’t run off again.”
“Why shouldn’t I? I don’t want to listen to anything you have to say.”
No. I wanted to hear it from Dominic’s lips.
“You should. At least you know you’ll be hearing the truth.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Max laughed hotly. “It means I don’t give a shit about your feelings, so I’m not going to lie to protect them.”
“Dominic doesn’t lie to me.”
“Sure about that?”
I stayed silent. Until five minutes ago, I’d been sure. He’d promised never to lie to me again. Vowed it, even.
But if Max was telling the truth…he’d broken that vow the instant he’d given it. He’d been lying to me for our entire relationship.
Max seemed to sense when I’d come to a decision. He got off me silently. I shoved myself off the ground, completely unsurprised that he didn’t reach down to help me. No, he wasstood off to the side, hands shoved in his pockets. “Why do you care about how I’m feeling?”
“I don’t,” Max said baldly. “But Dominic will be pissed off at me if he finds out I told you.”
Of course this wasn’t about me. It was about them.
Like always.
I shifted on my feet. It was pretty pointless denying anything given Max had had to literally sit on me to stop me going to Dominic, but I had to give it a go. We’d promised to keep the truth from Max at all costs. I owed it to Dominic to try. “Dominic won’t care. We’re just friends.”
“Right.” Max rolled his eyes. “Just friends who kiss and fuck.”
My stomach dropped out. “What? No. We don’t do that?—”
“Cut the bullshit. Dominic told me everything.”
