Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 65683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
My thoughts were jumbled just being next to her. The next thing I knew, she was kissing all over my face, wrapping her arms and legs around me, seeking the comfort she needed in my embrace. I kissed her, softly pecking her lips, taking my time with each stroke of my tongue as it tangled with hers.
I tasted her tears.
Her hope.
Her love.
When I opened my eyes, I saw every sentiment I felt through her gaze. We locked eyes.
I surrendered.
We lay next to each other. My eyes searched hers. “Tru? Is that the only thing you were keeping from me? The fact that Sandra and my dad have been together this whole time?”
She frowned. “Yeah, it’s the only thing. I wouldn’t lie to you.”
Yet she just did.
For one more minute, I surrendered to her, to the fantasy I’d created in my head that said there was a person—a soulmate, one person put on this plane who saw you for you, who you could trust.
How stupid of me. How fucking stupid.
My smile was sad. I turned my back on her, and then I left.
Tru
He wasn’t picking up his phone, which was weird. We’d had amazing sex, and when I woke up an hour later, he was gone.
Maybe he went back to the party?
I could hear it raging still. Did they ever sleep here?
I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, grabbed some lip gloss, and went outside to find him.
But he was gone. And when I asked people where he was, they just looked at me, then down at the ground like they were afraid to make eye contact.
A loud commotion sounded above the music near the hot tub. Vaughan was in the middle of the tub with girls all around him, wearing basically nothing, and he was clearly drunk. My entire world felt like it was falling apart when he looked at one of them and smiled because how dare he!
That was my smile!
We’d just been together a few hours ago?
How did a person get that drunk in a matter of a couple of hours and forget he has a girlfriend?
Because that was what I was… his girlfriend, right?
He knew I wasn’t the kind of girl who slept around and said I love you when they didn’t mean it. He told me he loved me too.
Why was he doing this to me?
I waited for I don’t know what.
Maybe for my heart to start beating again?
The shock and dismay quickly turned into hurt, which shifted into hurt and rage.
Fists clenched, I marched over. “Vaughan? Are you kidding me right now?”
“Oh look, the liar,” he slurred. “You know you should really stop with the whole innocent act. It might make it easier on your victims.”
“Victims?”
What the hell was he talking about?
“Vaughan, you’re drunk and making an ass out of yourself and really pissing me off right now, so could you just get out of the hot tub—”
“Nah, I’m in search of my next fling since clearly that’s about how important I am to you. You know everything after all, right? Or care to change your answer now?”
I seriously had no idea where he was going with this, but everyone was watching, and my heart was beating so fast I thought I was going to pass out. “Vaughan, let’s just go talk.”
“She means fuck.” He said it so loudly I’m sure the neighbors heard it. “Besides, I’m sure there’s a reason you didn’t say anything. Maybe you’re embarrassed by me, ashamed, maybe you just wanted to keep the upper hand. Who knows? What I do know is that you always swore to tell the truth until you didn’t.”
“I’ve always been honest with you!” I yelled. Tears were streaming down my face so fast that I could barely see. “What’s happening right now? I don’t understand!”
“Oh?” He turned to the girl next to him and smashed his mouth against hers. “Get it now?”
My world imploded from the inside out.
This wasn’t my world.
He made me feel like I was a part of it.
And he played me the entire time.
I love you?
I love you?
Don’t leave me?
“Just a fling, huh?” I reached for the first guy I could find and kissed him. “Good, now I know how it works. Find a willing victim and have fun. Besides, you’ll only ever be a pathetic loser who can’t even keep it in his pants, just like your dad.”
“SHUT UP!” Vaughan jumped to his feet, but I was already hauling the random stranger into the house. I went into the bathroom with him and locked the door.
He seemed more than happy to be sloppy seconds.
I didn’t touch him again, though. I waited ten minutes.
And then I left.
I left everything behind.
Vaughan.
The boy who broke me first.
CHAPTER 32
TRU
Now
I shouldn’t be going on a date with him, not after the way that summer ended. He’d loved me, then discarded me, and still had the audacity to say he cared or that I didn’t understand when he was the one who started the snowball and then added massive heaps of snow and ice until it barreled down the mountain and took me out completely.