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“Are you happy?” I blurted out When De

“Why would you ask me that?”

I put my plate down and turned in my seat to face her “Because I want to know I still care about you, Demetria” My voice came out harder than I intended

“Why, Brody? So you can gloat about how a your life is without me? So you can remind me one more ti to hurt me it won’t work” She stood up and stormed inside I rubbedto do?” I asked no one The quiet of the night greeted me and I decided it was probably better for me to leave I picked up our plates andagainst the counter with her back to me

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” I said I placed our dishes in the sink and turned to face her

She snorted, spinning around “I guess you never meant to leave either”

“Demetria, I – “

“No,” she cut me off, “I don’t want to hear your excuse”

“Then let ize” It was a plea, a desperate one I needed her to hear me out and let me try and fix what I’d broken

“You’re a year too late” Her voice cracked and in her eyes I got a sh to make me want to take it all back But I couldn’t, and now I had to consider the possibility that the little girl I’d fallen in love with all those years ago no longer loved me It was a possibility I wasn’t prepared for and never would be

“We have to talk about this,” I said, trying one last time

Demi shook her head, her eyes red and puffy “You’ve had countless chances to talk to ”

“What does that mean?”

She walked closer and I took a s under her eyes She looked tired She looked broken “It means I picked up the pieces you left behind andfor you, Brody”

My breath faltered as if sos

“You’re with Jeff, aren’t you?”

“You lost the right to ask me that”

“Answer the question, Demetria”