He tells me he’s parked in the lot by the woods—it’s the only lot near the beach—and I nod, turning to leave. I’ve never been so desperate to have a long chat with myself. Starting with “what the fuck was that?”
I spend the three-minute walk to the parking lot beating myself up. I make it to Chance’s car shortly after and catch sight of myself in the reflection of his tinted window.
Who is this girl?
I barely recognize her.
I was using Chance back there, trying to prove to myself that Finn didn’t come back for me. Maybe even trying to make him jealous. What was I thinking? I don’t want to be that person. I refuse to be that person.
I’ve just grabbed my jacket off Chance’s back seat when I hear quick footsteps thumping against the concrete. I assume that Chance decided to tag along until I turn around…
And I see Finn.
He’s standing underneath a streetlamp, basking in the faint glow of the moon and the parking lot lights. Strands of his dark hair fall in front of his eyes, his jaw noticeably tight. He pins me with a look that makes my palms sweaty. Creepy, deserted parking lot, and a buff man staring at me? If it weren’t Finn, I’d be running for my life.
Only it’s not my life I’m worried about right now.
It’s my heart.
“Was it worth it?” His voice is packed with irritation.
My brain wants nothing more than to come up with a snarky comeback, but that would require understanding what the hell he’s talking about.
“W-What?”
The right side of his mouth curls into a smirk at my response. He loves that shit. He loves knowing that he still affects me.
“Kissing the poor bastard to make me jealous. Was it worth it?” he repeats, never tearing his eyes away from me. I feel this big under his gaze, and I crack a mocking laugh, hoping to give him a taste of his own medicine.
“Are you serious?”
His smirk doesn’t falter one bit, the determination oozing out of him sending shivers down my spine. He wants an answer, and he’s not going to stop until he gets it.
“You actually believe that, don’t you?” I try to scoff, but it gets stuck in my throat when he steps closer.
And closer.
And closer.
He only stops once a few feet separate us.
“I know what I saw.” He stands his ground, staring holes through the protective walls I spent months building around myself.
“You’re crazy,” is all I say.
Is he, though?
Shut up, inner Dia.
A sigh hisses between his teeth. “You were using him to hurt me. Just admit it.”
Seconds before I can walk around him and rejoin the party, he takes the last step needed to fill the gap between us. I instinctively back away, my body hitting Chance’s car and my pulse speeding out of control when Finn braces his palm on the top of the car.
My feet sink into the concrete as he brings his mouth to my ear and whispers, “Congratulations. It worked.”
A wave of rage surfaces in my chest, the resentment I’ve been harboring since the day he let me drown hitting me full force.
Fuck, I hate him.