Chapter 67 How do you know about that?
Saraphina
I saw Cole after class today. For a second, I thought about walking over. Just to say hello. But he only looked at me. It was a cold, empty look, one I had never seen from him before. Then he turned and walked away.
It hurt.
A real, physical ache settled in my stomach as I watched him push through the doors and disappear. This was my life now. This was the choice I made. I could have Ryan. I just could not have my best friend anymore.
The finality of it felt heavier than I expected. So much heavier.
DING!’
The sound from my phone pulled me back. A text from my mom.
Mom: Hey sweetheart! Just checking in. How is school?
Saraphina: Good. I got an A on my literature midterm.
Mom: WTF! Well done!
Me: Mom… do you know what WTF means?
Mom: Well That’s Fantastic!
A laugh burst out of me. It was such a classic Loiusa thing to do. But as I smiled at my screen, a sudden, hot pressure built behind my eyes. My smile crumpled. Out of nowhere, a wave of guilt crashed over me, so strong it made my chest feel too tight.
Mom: I am so proud of you, honey! Best daughter ever.
That last message felt like a hand squeezing my heart. We did not live together anymore, but she was still my only family. My mom. How could I lie to her like this? Could I really build a life where she was not part of it? Would she ever be able to forgive me for what I was planning to do?
No. I had to stop. No more thinking about Mom, or about Cole. Think about Ryan.
I remembered last night. Curled against him in bed, my head on his chest, his arms solid around me. I was reading, and he kept pressing soft kisses to my forehead. I had felt so safe. So warm. But there was a dark, thrilling current underneath it all. It felt right and it felt wrong, all at once. He made me feel everything.
That is okay. The risk is worth it. I will be happy. I will be fine. I will…
Ryan
I typed “how to ask a girl to marry you” into Google.
A WikiHow article popped up. It was the dumbest thing I had ever read. Step one: make sure you are both ready. Step two: pick the right ring. Step three: pick the right time. Thanks, Wiki-fucking-How. Real genius.
I shoved my phone away and leaned back in my chair at the outdoor café. The day was nice. I was supposed to be planning the perfect way to ask her. I almost wanted to call my dad for advice, but… yeah. That was not happening.
My hand was closed around a small velvet box. It was light, but it held my whole heart inside. I had picked the ring today. A blue sapphire, the exact color of her eyes.
I was staring into space when I saw him. A guy I recognized walked into the café, looking for a seat. He saw me and stopped. Our eyes met. We both knew who the other was.
“You are Saraphina’s friend, right?” I said. “We have met.”
His name… it started with a C.
“And you are the stepbrother,” he answered, his voice flat.
What was his problem?
His eyes dropped to the box in my hand. His jaw tightened. The place was full. I motioned to the empty chair across from me.
“You can sit,” I said.
He looked at me like I had offered him poison. But he took the chair and sat down anyway.
We only met that one time at her party, but I knew his face. I had seen it in pictures all over her phone and her house. Her ‘best friend’.
I never liked other guys being around her, and he was no exception. Finding some guy’s things in her room a while back did not help. She said it was his, from when he used to sleep over. The thought alone made me want to break his face, but she told me I was being a jealous idiot.
“I am Ryan. Sorry, I forgot your name,” I said, holding out my hand. If he mattered to her, I guess I had to try.
“Cole,” he said. He did not shake my hand.
Okay.
I pulled my hand back and ran it through my hair. “You got a problem with me, man?” I asked, forcing a half-smile.
“Actually, I do,” he said.
I was not expecting that. I thought he was joking, but his face was stone. I sat up straight. “All right,” I said. “Let us hear it.”
“You are ruining her life.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I know about you two. You are sick, you know that?” He took a sharp breath. “She was the most amazing person. Good. Kind. And you ruined her.”
Part of me wanted to launch across the table and ruin him. But another part wanted to listen. What was he saying?
“Bro, I do not even know you..”
“But I know you,” he cut me off. “Ryan Jake Williams. The surfer. The player. The ‘stepbrother. You just had to go after her. You had to make her fall for you. And now, because of you, she has to leave everything. Her family. Her friends. Her dreams.”
“Whoa, wait..what?”
“She just got offered her dream job for after graduation. She said no. Because she is leaving the city. To follow some guy doing god-knows-what to god-knows-where.”
I lost it. My hands shot out and grabbed his shirt, yanking him forward. He flinched but did not look away.
“What are you going to do, Ryan? Break my nose like you did to that kid, Gabe?” he said, his voice calm.
My fingers twisted tighter in the fabric. “How do you know about that?”
“When she told me, I actually felt bad for him. He was probably the better man, do not you think?”
“Listen, you have no idea..”