Page 21 of My Best Years
“That’s not true–”
“Is it not?” I cut him off, raising my voice. “I don’t know you, and you don’t know me. Not anymore.”
He holds my stare while rubbing the back of his neck in frustration.
“That’s such a fucking lie, and you know it, Birdie.”
I feel like I walked out of the hospital and entered an alternative universe. One where logic doesn't exist and Callum doesn't know the definition of betrayal.
“Aside from where I work and what I drive, you knownothingabout me. Not anymore,” I shoot back. “How the hell did you even find me? How did you know that this was my car?”
For a split second, his eyes light up as if he’s relieved thatI’m even entertaining his bullshit. Aside from kicking a guy in the balls in high school, I’ve never hit another person. But Callum is lucky I haven't clocked him in his pretty face by now.
“After we ran into each other at the grocery store, I had to see you again,” he replies breathlessly. “I looked you up and found out through LinkedIn that you work at the hospital. And as for your car…It’s the only vehicle in the parking lot with a South Carolina license plate. So, I just took a guess.”
I still can’t believe this.
After all these years, Callum is at my work, beggingmeto give him the time of day after he quite literally robbed me of my youth.
I audibly scoff before I throw my head back and start hysterically laughing. I probably look like I’m going out of my mind, but I can’t help myself. I don’t know what else to do at this point but crack up at his audacity. I laugh and laugh into the darkness until tears leak from the corners of my eyes.
“God, I missed your laugh.”
Those five words shut me up real quick. My body goes eerily still.
I hear nothing but a loud ringing as I slowly lower my gaze to Callum. My gut churns with rage as I prepare to put this motherfucker in his place.
His eyes widen as I walk toward him and push my pointer finger into the middle of his hard chest.
Against my will, a warm zip shoots down my spine like an arrow.
“You don’t deserve my laugh,” I fume through gritted teeth. “You don’t deserve my smile. You don’t deserve my words. You don’t deserve a second of my damn time. You deservenothingfrom me. Get off of my fucking car and leave me alone.For good.”
Before I have a chance to move my finger fromhis chest, he wraps a large hand around my wrist. My skin burns from his touch. It aches, begging for more and betraying my broken heart.
“I need you to listen to me for two minutes,” he deadpans, his eyes bouncing between mine. “Two fucking minutes, Birdie. That’s all I’m asking for.”
Using all my strength, I tear my wrist from his grip before slapping my palms on his shoulders and shoving him to the side. Like a brick wall, he barely moves. But I push him hard enough to put a few inches of space between us and reach the door handle.
“You don’t get to ask me for anything,” I seethe, gripping the handle and slinging my door open.
He must think this is some kind of sick game because he steps around to the front of my car. Standing directly in front of the hood, he crosses his arms over his chest.
“What are you going to do? Run over me?” he taunts. “I need to talk to you, Birdie. Just give me one damn minute.”
I cannot believe this shit right now. I can’t fathom the fact that he is demanding I speak with him after all these years. After he shattered me into a million pieces and left me eternally crushed. I have never encountered such an arrogant piece of shit in my entire life.
Unable to hold back any longer, I unleash my wrath. Words that I’ve wanted to scream at him for years.
“Who thehelldo you think you are?” I shout. “You think you can just waltz back into my life and demand to speak to me after eleven years? Or did you forget that you fucked me—took myvirginity—and then abandoned me the very next day? Did you forget that you were my best friend, my everything, before you betrayed me in the worst possible way? Because I didn’t forget, Callum. I remembereverything. I remember crying until I threw up. I remember my mom driving me to get help becauseI was a shell of a human. I remember getting put on meds because I was too depressed to function. I remember questioning my worth, wondering how the person I loved most in this world could hate me so much. I remember mourning the loss of a person who is still alive. A person that didn’t want me anymore.”
My chest shakes as I try to steady my breathing.
Callum’s brows knit together in pain, and his eyes fill with water as he frantically shakes his head.
“No–”
I cut him the fuck off. Because I’m not done.