‘What? Sexually? Yeah, you and a thousand other girls know about him like that. You aren’t anything special, Katie.”
“You are, though,” I say sweetly. “You’re a special kind of asshole, you know that?”
“Seriously? You’re going to call me the asshole when you’re the one who stepped out on him?”
“What the fuck are you talking about? I never cheated on him!”
“Yeah, but you didn’t get back until really late last night. What were you doing out so late?”
“What the hell? I’m not going to answer any of your questions. You don’t need to know—”
“Why are you so defensive? Is it because you know you did something wrong?”
“Rob broke up with me. If I did anything after that, not that I’m saying that I did, butifI had, that’s my business. Not his and most certainly not yours!”
“I get it. You wanted to try to move on right away. You and Ace, huh? Way to gut a guy, going with his best friend not even an hour after you asked for space.”
"He literally said, 'We can't be together,' and 'it's over.' The last time I checked, that means we've broken up. I was the one who tried to get us to not be exclusive, to still date but also date other people. I didn't want to lose him, but I did, and now, I have to decide what to do next."
Gabe snorts. “You mean you have to decide who to do next.”
“Look, you want to go back to being a bully? Whatever, that’s your choice, but my choice?” I put the rest of my sandwich on the paper and brush the crumbs from my hands. “If I want to have some fun…”
I grab his hands and put them on my boobs.
“I’m going to have some fun,” I finish, lifting my chin, putting the ball in his court.
He holds still, and when I remove my hands from his, his hands linger on my boobs a moment before he draws back.
“If you think I’m not hurt, that I’m not bent, then you don’t know me at all. Sure, yes, you know Rob better than I do. Maybe he talks to you more, but I wanted to be there for him.”
“You asked about meeting his mom.”
I lower my gaze. “I wasn’t… I didn’t think that through, I’ll admit, but I know that sometimes, people need help. They aren’t always strong. My mom needed help to break things off with my father, and if I hadn’t been there for her, she would’ve gone back to him, and who knows? Maybe she would be dead right now. My father is not a good man. I don’t know what shady shit he’s done, but I have some guesses, and… She had to get him out of her life, and she left but thought about crawling back so many times. I have to be there for her constantly to help her remain strong, and maybe… I know Rob hates himself for leaving her, that he’s worried that she’s going to die, but she hasn’t yet.” I pause. “Or has she? Did something happen?”
“It’s not my place to say,” Gabe mutters.
“So you know that something happened, but you won’t tell me. I… He broke up with me because I reminded him of something tragic in his life. I hadn’t meant to hurt him.”
“Did you tell him why you asked?”
"Not all of it. It wouldn't have helped any. It would've seemed like an excuse. He thinks I was sticking my nose where it shouldn't be."
"Look, I know Rob can be an ass at times…" Gabe straightens and walks around the bench to sit next to me.
“Yeah, maybe that’s why you two are such good friends. You and him can both be asses at times.”
Gabe laughs. “Point taken.”
“But you’re loyal. That’s one positive.”
“Any other positives?” he asks, knocking his shoulder into mine.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“Well, I can rattle off some negatives pretty quickly.”