Wilde by Abby Brooks
Chapter Twenty-Six
Leo
When I messaged Amy back, I never expected her to respond right away. Any more than I expected her to want to meet, right fucking now. It’s barely eight o’clock in the morning. My head aches. My stomach churns. I need greasy hangover food and a few solid hours in bed before I’ll be ready to think, much less deal with this.
And still, here I sit, forcing down coffee while I wait for someone who rode off into the sunset with another guy, so we can “talk.” Whatever the hell that’s code for.
If she plans on breaking up with me, I’m going to enjoy reminding her we’re not “together.”
Even I hear the attitude in that thought. I set down the coffee cup to rub my temples.
This is such a bad idea.
When Amy knocks, I yell from the couch out of habit. “It’s open!” My voice ricochets around my head and I rub my temples harder.
The door swings open and Amy steps in, concern weathering her face. “God, you look awful.”
I squint at her through my hands while massaging my forehead. “Good to see you too.”
“Sorry, that’s not how I meant it to come out.” She closes the door and sits beside me, her hands fluttering through the space between us like she doesn’t know what to do with them. Finally, she folds them in her lap and I lurch off the couch.
I can’t be that close to her.
I need distance between us because how the hell am I supposed to handle the fact that she still hasn’t asked how I’m doing?
She hasn’t apologized for taking off with Avery and leaving me to tell my story to the police alone.
“I came by last night. Well, this morning. After you sent all those texts. I knocked, but I guess you were asleep…” She trails off as if it’s my turn to speak.
Think again.
She’s the one who needs to make a serious apology.
I glance her way and bob my head, trying to encourage her to speak her mind. When she frowns in confusion, I close my eyes and slowly roll my neck from one side to the other. “You had something you needed to say, right? I mean, that’s the only reason you’re here.”
“Well, not the only reason…” She pauses, biting her lip and fidgeting with the hem of her shirt as she searches for the appropriate thing to say. “How…how are you doing?”
“Have to say I’ve been better.” The surge of fight-or-flight adrenaline drives me to pace the living room. “Let’s not pretend you’re here just to check in. If I was confused before, where we stood became pretty fucking obvious as you rode off in the ambulance with him.”
“Leo please, it wasn’t like that.” Amy stands and starts to move closer but hesitates. “I’ve never seen someone hurt another person like that. I was overwhelmed. Scared. You know I don’t handle confrontation well…”
“Damnit.” My voice is deep. Hard. “It wasn’t my fault!” Reeling and defensive, I peel off my t-shirt, revealing the scrapes and cuts along my torso. Not to mention the fist-sized bruise radiating out from my shoulder. “You know better than anyone that I gave him every chance.”
“Oh, Leo…I’m so sorry I went in the ambulance with him. I hate myself for it. I wasn’t thinking…” Her fingers lightly trace the bruise on my shoulder and I jerk away.
“Don’t. Just fucking don’t.”
When she recoils at my tone, I turn away and take a breath to refocus my energy.
Amy sighs and swallows hard. “You did give him a chance. I know you did. But you’re so much bigger than him,” she says meekly. “And you know how to handle yourself, or whatever. Why did you have to take it so far?”
Equal parts surprised and confused, I turn back to see if she’s joking. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I shake my head in disbelief. “You saw what happened with your own eyes and you still try to lay the blame at my feet. You stand in my house judging me because your friend dove into the deep end of the pool without knowing how to swim?”
Amy blinks, mouth open, eyes blank with shock. “So it’s okay for you to disappear from a doctor’s appointment because you’re overwhelmed, but I don’t get the same latitude?” She shakes her head. “Real mature, Wilde. Why am I not surprised you’d have a double standard?”
Her words hit with the sting of truth. A slap to the face. A punch to the gut. A hard pill to swallow.
I’m not her reality.
I’m her rebellion.
I’ve known it from the moment we started getting to know each other. Looks like she finally caught up.
“Don’t let me keep you.” I stalk to the front door and throw it wide. “If there’s nothing else, I could really use some sleep. Besides…” I fake cough. “I’m sure he’s waiting for you.”
Amy’s mouth falls open. “Leo. Don’t be like this. I didn’t…”
I force a smile. “Thanks for stopping by, though. Really. Great chat.”
She pauses in the doorway. “I don’t want to leave things like this between us.”
Seizing the opportunity, I move in for the kill shot. “Why? Whatever this is, it isn’t real. Your actions made that clear. I’m just glad you saw it before I had to point it out.” I close the door before she has a chance to say anything else.