His face softens slightly and I can see Dylan staring at me in the corner of my eye. "Casey? I haven't ..." he trails off. He blinks a couple of times before he glances at Dylan again. "I'll deal with you next time, Parker." Dylan and I watch as Xavier stalks towards the back of the diner and sits with a few guys in the large booth. "Should've known they'd be here," Dylan says, shaking his head. "Sorry." "Good thing I know Casey. I might've just saved you from getting your ass kicked," I chuckle to lighten the mood. He scoffs. "Please. I can take Xavier and all his dumbass friends. The guys don't think so, but I can." "Is that why they didn't want you going out with Kay?" I ask without thinking. What if he doesn't know about that? He picks at his fries. "The guys have this thing where they think they know what's best for me. I know what I'm doing," he says finally. "They're your friends and family. I'm sure they're just looking out for you." "I don't need anyone looking out for me," he pushes his fries away from him. He crosses his arms and stares out the window. He's acting like a kid. I don't know why he's refusing their help, or anyone else's help for that matter. To me, it doesn't seem fair. How can he offer his help to me in getting over Jacob, yet reject all other help? "You've been helping me with this whole Jacob thing and I really appreciate it. But, just so you know, I can help you with whatever also." He sighs. "I don't need help with anything." Clearly, there's no way to get through to him, but I'm not going to take no for an answer. "Listen here, Parker. This isn't a one-sided friendship. If you need my support for anything, I'll give it to you. I don't know what Xavier is mixed up in or if you're getting mixed into it too, but I'm here. I know the guys will back you up, but if you ever need to talk I'm all ears. I'm not going to let you bottle things up." I take a deep breath before speaking again. "Casey was going through a rough time last year and I didn't even know because I was sucked up in everything with Jacob. And I'm not just doing this to make myself feel better. I'm doing this for you." It's still hard to process that Casey had a whole different life outside our friendship because I never paid attention. Dylan stays quiet. He runs a hand through his hair before looking at me. "I'll consider it," he says. I can see a smile trying to break through. I reach over and punch his shoulder. "You better." Dylan reaches into his pocket and pulls out a twenty-dollar bill before setting it on the table. "Let's get out of here." Once we're in his car, he doesn't start it right away. "There's a reason I'm keeping you in the dark about all this stuff with Xavier and Kay. I don't want him to talk to you and drag you into shit that has nothing to do with you. I don't know his situation with Casey, but I hope that keeps him away from you." The way he says it scares me. What is Xavier sucked up in? How bad is he? "Are you sure you know what you're doing with him?" I ask hesitantly. "I know you can't help it, but don't worry about me," he says, winking. "And if Xavier even thinks about you, I'll kick his ass." The butterflies in my stomach are back and I smile. "You would protect me?" He rolls his eyes, but smirks anyway. "Just put your seatbelt on." While I do what he asks, I notice his eyes are stuck on my wrist. I clear my throat and turn my hand so the tattoo isn't visible. Maybe I should take Dylan up on his offer for a cover-up. Covering it would really be the beginning of a new era. Am I ready to give up on my matching tattoo? Dylan is quiet as he drives back to the apartment. I'm a little uncomfortable with the silence this time so I decide to voice my thoughts to him. "If I were to cover my tattoo with something else, what do you think I should get?" I ask him. He shrugs, eyes staying on the road. "It'd have to be something big enough to cover it." "Like a flower, maybe?" "If that's what you want." I trace the heart and sigh. "I don't know." I don't know what I want anymore. Choosing a tattoo with Jacob was easy. Covering it up is a completely different story. "Or turn it into something else. Add a quote to turn the meaning around, you know?" That's possible. "I'll have to think about it. Maybe that'll be my graduation present to myself." It makes me curious about Jacob. Is he ever going to change it or cover it? Or will he keep it that way forever? "Don't tell me you're thinking about that dickhead," Dylan says suddenly. "It's hard not to when thinking about the tattoo," I admit. It's hard not to think about him period. Everything was fine until homecoming. Doing the things I used to do with Jacob brings back feelings I've had a hard time suppressing. He stays quiet for a second. "I know I'm supposed to be helping you get over him or whatever, but you don't seem like you want to get over him." What? "But, I do." "It doesn't seem like it sometimes. I can tell you get in your head and you start thinking about him and it messes with you," he stresses. "Look, I'm here to help, but I'm also here to tell you that if getting over him seems impossible then don't." What is he saying? That I should get back together with Jacob? My heart starts to pound in my chest and not in the good way. Instead I feel angry that he would even suggest that. "Are you saying I should go back to him?" My voice rises as I speak. He doesn't look at me. "I'm not saying that—" "But you're implying it." "Fine, I'm implying it," he says, his voice rising also. "But I'll say it too. Get back together with him if you're that miserable without him." Am I that miserable without Jacob? The possibility of getting back together with him makes me lightheaded and I don't know if that's a good thing. "He cheated. How do I know he won't do it again?" "Listen, I'm no expert in successful relationships, but something would have to change. You can't just go back to the way things were before and expect everything to be perfect," he says. I'm not sure why Dylan is putting all these thoughts into my head, but whatever he's doing is really screwing with me. "Do you think he would cheat on me again?" He looks deep in thought, like he's choosing his words carefully. "Yeah," he nods finally. "I think every word he spews out to you is a fucking lie. Do you think he's been a saint this whole time he's been sweet-talking you to get back with him? There's no way." I don't know what to say. I don't know what brought Dylan to these conclusions and it feels like he's giving up on me. Appearing weak and all for a boy doesn't settle well with me. I can't be that miserable without Jacob. When he parks at the apartment, Dylan grabs my arm. His warm hand feels feather-light and his eyes are trained on my wrist. "Sorry I said all of that. I just had to get it off my chest," he says, casting his eyes away from my tattoo. I nod, mostly because I want the conversation to be over with. "It's fine. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Before he can answer I open the door and step out. In my room, I'm staring at the ceiling wondering what the hell I should do. Can I trust Jacob again? Am I willing to run back to him because I can't imagine my life without him? I feel like I'll lose everything I've worked hard for in these past few months if I get back together with him. I might lose Casey in the process, and even Dylan, and that just doesn't seem right. And even as I'm falling asleep, I see Jacob's warm brown eyes.