“You’re using her,” Ryan said.
“I’m not! I want to be with her, Ryan. I want her in my life. I told you I’m in love with her.”
Ryan shook his head. “You’re not. You want to be. You think you are. But you’re just after sex. Fuck it, Park. You know how I feel about her. Everyone uses her!”
“I’m not using her,” I said.
“Break up with her.”
I stared at Ryan. He was serious. His jaw was set, his eyes—the same color as Emily’s eyes—filled with anger and determination.
“No,” I said.
“You’re not dating her.”
“That’s not your call.”
“I’m making it my call,” Ryan said. “If you don’t get rid of this bullshit thing between the two of you, if you don’t end it ...”
“Then what?” I challenged. It wasn’t like Ryan was in charge of anything in my life.
“Then we can’t be friends.”
That was a punch to the gut. Ryan was my best friend. But who the hell was he to tell me whom to love? I’d been hurt, and I deserved a chance to be happy.
“Why can’t we work this out?” I asked. “I don’t want to lose you as a friend.”
“It’s simple, Parker,” Ryan said in a low voice. “Dump my sister, or I walk out of here and that’s it. I won’t talk to you again.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“We had some real good times, didn’t we?” I asked. “Thank you for that.”
Ryan’s jaw dropped, shock and horror filling his features for a moment before anger replaced them.
“You’re out of the gym too.”
I nodded. I’d expected that.
Ryan spun around and stormed out of my apartment, slamming the door shut behind him.
I stood in the wake of his destruction, feeling like he’d punched me in the gut with his ultimatum.
I hadn’t wanted to lose my best friend.
But I refused to lose Emily.
And if I had to choose ...
Well, I guess I just did.
18
EMILY
“Hey,”IsaidwhenI opened my door for Sadie.
“Are you okay?” Sadie asked, holding out the packet she’d gotten from the pharmacy.