“You won’t see me walking past yours.”
He sighs. “I know. I—I’m sorry you lost your job. I didn’t know. I came in the next day, and your station was empty. Harlee—”
“Don’t go there. Don’t. I have the job thing under control.” Not true, but fuck him.
“Good. I mean, it should have been me that was fired. I have my trust fund to keep me going, and you don’t—”
“What else do you need? I’m kinda busy.” I dart my eyes to the hallway that leads to my bedroom, wondering what’s keeping my friends. Over the noise of the TV, they probably can’t hear me and Edward.
“Remember how we met?”
I shrug. I met him when I was twenty-seven at a bar in Hell’s Kitchen where he was singing (badly) in a band and waiting tables. We had mediocre sex in the bathroom, and I forgot about him.
He eases closer to me. “After we hooked up, you wouldn’t give me your phone number, so I showed up at East Coast Ink.”
“You were determined—points for that. I shouldn’t have told you where I worked. It would have saved me years of wasted time.”
“I came to see you for a week straight and tried to talk to you—”
“Right, right. We all know this story, Edward. I ignored you until you drew cutesy sketches of us together on dates, one of us at the movies, one of us kissing, blah, blah, blah. I got soft and gave you a shot. We dated, I got you a job, we got engaged, you fucked Harlee, and we ended. That sums it up. What else you got?”
Hurt flashes on his face. “I’m not sure you even wanted to get married—”
“Hold up. This is your excuse for cheating? I wasn’t ready? I wore your ring! Leave.” I push him toward the hallway to the foyer.
“Let me talk!”
I throw my hands up in the air. “Fine! Let it all out.”
His words come in a rush. “After we got engaged, it took three weeks for you to put the ring on and tell people. You didn’t like my mother, even though you let her pick out your dress, the cake, the flowers, the venue. She even did our registry—”
“Your mother wanted a society wedding. She paid for it.”
“I know.”
My anger ratchets up. “You broke my trust and my heart! I don’t give it away freely, Edward!”
“I know.”
“You can’t use me as your scapegoat!”
“I know.”
“Stop saying that! You should have told me this before. You were with her for ... I don’t even know how long. Coward.” I practically spit the word.
He shuts his eyes, then opens them, wetness in the depths. “I—I wanted to be your everything, but I was terrified you’d hurt me. I was messing around with her, I don’t know, to see if, God—I think I wanted you to catch us. I couldn’t end us. Because I needed you too much.”
Pain knifes me right in the chest.
Hewantedto hurt me.
What the hell is wrong with him?
Did I even know him at all?
Why do I get fooled by these losers?
His fists clench at his side as he beats them against his leg. “I’m sorry, okay? Sorry, sorry, sorry. So damn sorry ...”