Page 233 of Love Unwritten
“Anything, so long as you don’t ice me out for something that isn’t even true.”
“I know it isn’t.”
“Then why does it feel like you’re punishing me anyway?”
His nostrils flare. “I’m pissed.”
“Because Cole touched me?” The paparazzi caught a single moment when Cole was trying to help me steady myself after I tripped over a hole in the pavement, and the media turned it into this whirlwind romance meant to sell papers and get clicks on the internet.
He shakes his head. “I know you wouldn’t do anything with him.”
“Then why are you angry?”
“I’m angry at myself. Not at you.”
I blink in confusion. “What?”
He looks past the phone’s camera and stares into the distance. “I feel…”
“Jealous?” I offer.
His eyes screw shut. “Partially.”
“It’s normal to feel that way from time to time, especially after what you’ve been through with your ex. I understand why something like that photo might be…triggering.”
He sighs. “I hate being insecure. It makes me feel pretty pathetic.”
“It’s okay if you feel jealous and unsure, so long as you let me help you feel secure about us rather than turning your back on me.”
“That’s not how a relationship should be.”
“Do you mind sharing your relationship rule book so I can get a better understanding of these archaic beliefs?”
“Elle.”
I ignore the warmth bursting through my chest. “What?”
“I didn’t want you to see me like this. That’s why I stayed away.”
“See you like that?”
“Weak,” he says with a sneer.
“The only weakness I see is the fact that you’d rather pull away than lean on me when you need it most.” We could have supported each other, but he didn’t let me.
His head hangs with a sigh. “You’re right.”
I consider keeping my feelings about him ghosting me for a day to myself, especially given how torn he looks by his choice, but I decide to voice them anyway.
“Your reaction scared me. I was worried that you might be…done with me.”
His eyes snap open. “No. I might have needed a little time to cool off, but it had nothing to do with you.”
“Try telling my insecurities that.”
“Shit.”
“I could have used you last night,” I confess in a whisper. “You disappeared and left me all alone, which only made everything worse.”