Better If He Goes (Always You #1) - Allie Everhart Page 0,95

though she has every right to. Just because she—"

"Just shut the fuck up!" he yells at Brad. "I don't want to hear you trying to explain this as if it's okay. I told you over and over that it is NOT okay for you to go out with her, or even LOOK at her that way."

"You don't get to decide that," Brad says, his anger rising. "I don't have to do what you say and neither does Riley. And for you to think otherwise is fucked up. You can't control her. Or me. We didn't plan for this to happen, but it did. We fell in love."

"You WHAT?" Nate stares at him in disbelief, then marches over to me. "Are you hearing this?"

"Yes," I mutter, my eyes going to the floor.

"Then say something!" Nate comes up in front of me. "Tell me he's crazy! Tell me this was all a mistake! Tell me what I saw just now wasn't what you wanted. You were just confused. Or he took advantage of you. Or—"

"Nate, stop." My eyes lift to his. "What you saw wasn't a mistake. I didn't want you to know, but...Brad and I have been dating."

Nate's face crumbles. "Riley, no."

"I'm sorry, Nate, but it's true."

"How long?" he says, breathing hard. "When did it start?"

"Right after he moved here. We went to the brewery that night you were sick and we really hit it off. We knew it would upset you, so we tried to ignore our feelings. But we couldn't."

Nate whips back to Brad. "You were dating other people. Giada. Kari. So that was all fake?"

Brad takes a breath. "Giada was real. I thought going out with her would make me stop thinking about Riley, but all it did was make me think about her even more."

"And Kari?"

"That was fake. But I told you I didn't want to go out with her. I only did it so you could go out with her friend."

Nate turns back to me, his eyes red and teary. "I can't believe you'd do this. After everything we've been through. You know how much you hurt me when you said you don't love me. And now you do THIS? Like I haven't been through enough?"

"I didn't do this to hurt you, Nate. I didn't mean for this to happen. It just did." I swallow, my throat burning as I force back tears. "Brad makes me happy. I know you don't want to hear that, but you should want that, Nate. You should want me to be happy. That's what friends want for each other."

"I do want that, but I wanted to be the one to make you happy." He wipes his eyes. "It was supposed to be ME. We were supposed to be together, Riley. I was going to find you an apartment in Dallas this weekend. I knew you wouldn't live with me, but I know you want out of this town and I was going to help you. I was going to find you an apartment close to mine. I'd even pay for it."

"Nate." I reach for his hand.

He steps back, his teeth gritted. "Don't touch me."

"Nate, don't be this way. I didn't know about the apartment. It's nice that you did that but—"

"I didn't. I never looked because I didn't get the job. That's why I came back early. And good thing I did or I never would've known the truth."

Brad walks over to us. "Nate, why don't you go cool down? We can talk about this later."

"What's there to talk about? You took my girl. You stole her from me. Behind my back. You lied to me." Nate glares at Brad. "You already have everything you could ever want. Money. A big house. Expensive car. Two parents. Acceptance at a prestigious medical school in New York. But it's still not enough. You could have any girl you want, but you had to take mine." He shoves him. "What the fuck, man?"

"You want to hit me? Go ahead, but it's not going to change anything. I didn't come here to take Riley from you. I came here to get away from my life, which isn't as perfect as you think it is. If you ever took the time to ask me, you'd know. But you don't ask, because you think you know everything. And you're so wrapped up in your own self-pity that you don't think of anyone else. Like Riley. She's not your girl and never was, but you refuse to