Inhale, Exhale - By Sarah M. Ross Page 0,52
school after he paid me to change his grades. Or the fact he’s selling weed to our coworkers.”
I pushed off the swing, kicking up the rubber pellets that covered the ground. “That’s absolutely ridiculous! Why would you be so petty as to make up utter lies? If this is what you’re really like, then you’re right. There is no choice. Goodbye, Grant.”
I grabbed the edge of the whirligig where he sat and pushed, spinning him round and round. I turned back onto the dirt path that led to my house, but a hand grabbed my arms and stopped me. He didn’t say anything for a long time. I could see the war raging in his eyes, like he wanted to tell me something but was afraid. I pushed his arm away and kept walking.
“Jealously is not a good color on you, Grant. I’m sorry you didn’t get your way, but I’m not going to throw away a four-year relationship based on your lies out of spite.”
He kicked the ground, spitting up several rocks in the process and emitted a frustrated, angry cry. “I’m not lying to you, Cupcake. He’s a piece of shit loser. He’s the one lying to you. You need to believe me on that.”
I spun around to face him, our noses practically touching. I was seething. “He wouldn’t do that. He doesn’t lie to me. And why do you insist on calling me Cupcake? My name is Jillian!”
“Whatever you say, Cupcake.”
“Damn it! Stop that!”
He sneered at me like I was a bitter taste in his mouth and turned away. “You wanna know why I call you Cupcake? Because as sweet and tempting as you may be, in the end it’s not worth undoing all the hard work I’ve put in.”
I flinched back like he’d struck me. He might as well have. I could see the remorse in his eyes in the next moment, but it was too late. He couldn’t take the words back.
I didn’t say anything and fought back the tears that threatened. I would not let him see me cry. He did not deserve my tears. I twisted out of his arm and walked away without another word.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
FUCK!
I am an asshole.
A fuckin’ asshole.
I wanted to punch myself in the face.
Repeatedly.
I deserved it. I deserved the anger in her eyes and the fiery twists of guilt that were currently rotting in my gut. I don’t know what possessed me to say those things. I was frustrated at the situation, and pissed she believed that douche over me.
I didn’t see Jillian for the rest of the night. Or the next day. She didn’t come to work on Tuesday, or Wednesday. I didn’t know if she was staying away because of her grandmother or because of me.
And I didn’t know how to make it right.
FUCK!
CHAPTER TWENTY
Mom understood when I told her I didn’t want to go back to Allegro so I could stay closer to Gamma. She was discharged from the hospital a week after her stroke and would see a physical therapist three times a week for the next month to help regain some strength in her left leg and arm. Gamma would stay at the house with us instead of going back to her condo, but since Mom couldn’t take that much time off of work, I would now be able to stay with her during the day in case anything happened.
The arrangement solved Mom’s problem and my own, because I couldn’t go back there and face Grant every day. He had called over a dozen times, texted his apology over and over, and even sent two dozen purple lilacs with white daises (anonymously, though I knew they were from him) with how sorry he was and he just wanted a chance to talk to me.
I gave the flowers to my grandmother.
Throughout this whole ordeal, Christian had been wonderful. He picked up groceries, played Scrabble with Gamma and me, and even missed band practice to watch a chick flick with me. I mean, yeah, he tried to use it as an excuse to get a little nookie, but I couldn’t blame him. It had been a while for us.
But after my night with Grant, I wasn’t ready to go there with Christian too. It made me feel too…easy or slutty or something. So I faked having my period, which halted him in his tracks. He always hated when I talked about anything too girly like my time of the month.
“Hey, babe? You home?” Christian called