dial her number. Practicality kept it in his address book even though the first thing he had wanted to do was delete it from his memory. When the breakup had first happened, he’d called her at least once a day trying to find answers. Bryce finally realized he wouldn't be getting any after about a week of vague and cryptic statements and rushed conversations. Almost two months had passed, so maybe she would finally be ready to give them to him.
Eyes closed, he selected her name on the screen and listened to the sound of ringing from the other line. Slow, deep breaths. Remember to breathe. Don't let her own you.
It took less time than he thought for her to pick up.
“B-Bryce, hi,” she said. It amazed him at how strange it was to hear her voice again, something he used to live for. A lot had changed in a short time.
He took his time answering, so he could find the best way to word everything without letting his anger take over. “Hi.”
“What's going on? I mean, why did you call? Not that I don't mind hearing from you, but we haven't spoken for a while, so I'm a little surprised. Our last conversation didn’t go too well either.”
“I don't think this one is going to go much better,” he mumbled.
She didn't say anything for a few seconds. “Look, you'll always have a special place in my heart, but I meant it when I said this isn't going to work out and —”
“No,” he said sharply. “I've come to the same conclusion you have. After our last talk, I realized that our relationship wasn't exactly healthy, let alone all too loving. It should have ended a while ago. I guess what I want to know is, why didn't it? Especially since you've apparently been screwing around behind my back.”
“So you saw the magazine… that's what this is about.”
“It's about getting what I need so I can move on with my life. You know I hate being surrounded by questions. Please, just tell me the truth. You've moved on, and you owe it to me to do the same without all of these unresolved cliffhangers.” He exhaled slowly. “Is it true? What the tabloid said, I mean. Have you been seeing him for five months?”
Katie sighed. “Yes, it's true. Yes, we should have broken up a while ago. For some reason, I couldn't quite let you go. You're special to me. You always will be.”
“I loved you.” Had that meant nothing to her? Being special, important to someone, was not the same as true, real love. Why hadn't he seen it before? Why did he have to let himself be so blind?
“I know you loved me. I never could figure out why exactly. Maybe that's why things never got to blossom in the way they should have. I never believed it was possible, not until now at least. Hunter has taught me a lot of things.”
Bryce squeezed his eyes shut, his heart beginning to pound in his chest and an angry pit forming in his stomach. “So you led me on. Why? Just so you could feel good about yourself? All of this time you've been interested, falling for another guy, but stringing me along enough to keep me around. Why? For your own sense of security? I just don't understand it. Are you that selfish that you couldn't have the decency to dump me before hopping into bed with another guy?”
“I didn't think it would last for long,” she said, her voice quavering. In the past, he'd always hated it when she cried. At that moment, he was glad she felt the same kind of pain he did. What she said next floored him. “None of the others went beyond a week or two. This one wasn't supposed to last for that long either.”
“There have been others?” he managed to choke out, shock stiffening his body and making him numb inside and out.
She squeaked out something that resembled “uh huh” but didn't say anything more. Not for a long while that felt like five minutes, but in actuality had only been about thirty seconds. “I was so scared of you hating me. Losing you has been hard, so hard. There are so many things I miss about us, but I don't love you in the way that I should to continue on in a relationship. You were my first love, too. If I couldn't make things work with you, after