“Oh, c’mon! It’ll be fun. I was thinking Derek and Oliver could come, and I could bring my girlfriend, and maybe Travis—”
“If Travis is going to be there, then I’m definitelynotcoming,” I interrupt firmly.
Silence. For a moment, I wonder if he hung up.
If only I could be so lucky.
“Dude,” Landon says finally, voice dropping. “It’s been almost two years since you broke up. You gotta get over it. He’s my best friend.”
“He’s also myex. And a manipulative asshole.”
He exhales, the sound of his breath fizzling through the speaker. “Well, that’syourperspective.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“If you ask Travis, thenyouwere the manipulative one in your relationship.”
My jaw actually falls open. “Excuse me?!”
He groans like he’s annoyed. “Hunt, as I’ve told you a hundred times, I’m not picking sides. I’m just saying that you both have different stories about what happened between you two, and honestly, I don’t want to get caught in the middle. You’rebothimportant to me. Can’t we all just move on and get along?”
My teeth clench. “It’s not that simple.”
He scoffs. “Itissimple. Travis has moved on. He has a girlfriend.”
The back of my throat stings. “Land, I gotta go.”
“Hunter—”
“I’ll talk to you later,” I say sharply, then hang up before he can argue.
Afterwards, I pull my fuzzy blanket over my face and stare into the dark abyss, listening to the heavy patter of rain on the roof.
***
It’s almost nine o’clock, and I’m halfway through a pint of cookie dough ice cream when Mason finally texts me.
Mason:hey, u up?
I stare at the screen, frowning.
I don’t know why it bothers me that he hasn’t texted until now. It’s not like I reached out either. It doesn’t make sense for me to be mad at him, but I can’t shake this hollow, unsettled feeling. Maybe it’s a lingering vulnerability from yesterday—the sex, the intimacy, the way he looked at my naked body in the shower.
Either way, seeing Mason’s name pop up now stirs a mess of emotions.
Hunter:Yes, I’m up.
Mason:cool. can I swing by in 5 min?
Hunter:I’m not in the mood for sex…
Mason:that’s ok! just want 2 hang out :) b there soon
Well, shit.
I look like a disaster with my ice cream-stained sweatpants, wrinkled hoodie, and messy hair. But whatever. If he wants to ignore me all day and then surprise me like this, he’ll have to learn to live with it.
When he knocks, I wait a few seconds before answering—just because I’m petty.
