Chapter 512
There were so many assumptions in that sentence, it made me wonder what Brandon was telling people. Or was he even speaking about it all? Maybe it had gone through the rumor mill enough that everyone had their own warped version of what had happened. I didn’t even want to think about what other people might be saying about me, especially some of the girls at training who have always thought Brandon was too good for me. “We just decided that I was too distracted right now, and I need to figure a few things out. That’s all.” I remembered that Heather had gone to Pizza Triangle with them the other night when I hadn’t, and wondered if she was thinking about going after Brandon herself. A stab of jealousy hit me right in the gut.
“Uh huh,” Heather said, like she didn’t buy a word that had come out of my mouth. “I was surprised to hear he’d broken up with you. You was about all he could talk about when we was in the portal together.”
I felt tears sting the backs of my eyes and didn’t know what to say. I could see him in there, desperate to get back to me, only for me to turn a cold shoulder to him a few days later, after I read that letter from Alex. Heather made it seem like Brandon had suddenly stopped loving me and that’s why he broke up with me. I knew otherwise. But it wasn’t something I could explain to her, or to anyone else, not even myself. I was certain Brandon still loved me, at least for now. If I kept acting like an idiot, it wouldn’t take too long before that was no longer the case. “I should probably go.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset ya.” Heather looked as if I’d hurt her feelings. She’s working on her people skills, and she probably felt like she’d crossed a line and offended me. Maybe she had, but that wasn’t what had me upset. It was the idea that I needed to fix the situation with Brandon but part of me didn’t want to—and I didn’t know why.
“You didn’t,” I assured her.
Confused, Heather asked, “So ya ain’t upset about Brandon?”
“I didn’t say that.” I blew out a hot breath in frustration. “It’s just... it’s too hard to put into words, Heather.” She needed to let it go, to let me go. I needed to get back to my apartment before the world closed in on me.
“All right. Well, I hope things work out fer ya. Y’all was a cute couple. I just loved the way he doted on ya. Made me feel like maybe there’s a good feller out there in the world for all of us after all.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that. It sounded like maybe she wasn’t interested in Brandon after all, but rather, she was inspired by our relationship. It must’ve been hard for her to be alone in the portal for all of those years. I wondered if she’d ever had a boyfriend. It wasn’t an easy question to ask, especially when I still needed to run away. I was sure there was a good fellow out there in the world for her. For everyone. “Yea, maybe there’s more than one,” I muttered.
“Whatta ya mean?”
Without an entire can of worms exploding all over the both of us, I needed to go. “Nothing. Never mind.” If she told Brandon I’d said that, he’d be even more upset at me. “Thanks for your help, Heather.” I started gathering up my trash, the urgency to get back home rising with each second.
“I weren’t much help, but yer welcome any time. Take care.”
“You, too.” I managed a small smile in her direction and then hurried to the trash can, tossing in everything but the tray. I felt like the entire room full of people was staring at me now, like everyone knew I was caught in a love triangle between my dead friend and my ex-boyfriend. I knew that was ridiculous, but I wanted to get back to my room before I had a total meltdown.
I ran out of the shop, taking the corner too fast and plowed right into someone. I knew exactly who it was before the scent of his cologne, the familiarity of his blue T-shirt, or the height of his chest against my forehead registered.
Jumping back, I glanced up briefly into Brandon’s familiar green eyes, knowing mine were twice the size they were supposed to be. He looked just as shocked as I felt and quickly said, “Sorry.”
It wasn’t his fault. I was the one who wasn’t looking where I was going when I came around the corner. I was the one who should’ve been paying better attention. I was the one who couldn’t get out of my own head long enough to know what was happening in the world around me. The realization that most of those faults had more to do with this entire predicament than the fact that they’d caused me to run into him weren’t lost on me. “Yeah, me, too,” I stammered, already moving to go around him.
He opened his mouth for a second but closed it quickly. I knew he wasn’t going to say anything, not at the moment, so I made a wide circle around him, heading for the stairs instead of the elevator. There would be less people on the stairs. Less people to see me cry.
Tears were already running down my cheeks before I made it to the lobby. The idea that I could feel so uncomfortable running into my best friend in the world tore my heart out of my chest. Never in a million years would I have ever thought we would find ourselves in this situation. I had to find a way to fix it before it was too late. I had to find the courage to talk to him, but I didn’t know how to get there, and the people I usually talk to about things like this were not available.
It was a little more chilly than it had been thus far as the fall air circled around me and leaves plummeted from the trees. I didn’t make note of any of it as I ran across the street toward my building. I took the stairs again, two or three at a time, until I reached my own apartment. The door was open before I reached it, and I used my powers to slam it shut behind me.
Without pausing, I went straight to my bedroom and buried my head in my pillow. The tears were going to come no matter what, so I may as well let them fall. Christian and Eliza would have to wait until the storm passed because right now, I needed to mourn the loss of my relationship with Brandon, a death, like most I’ve experienced, I never saw coming.
