Page 145 of Come Back to Me

“Oh, do you?!” He raises his voice. “Do you know how in denial I was when Noah told me you were never there? I knew deep down that it was a lie, but he convinced me it was the truth. I couldn’t understand why my girlfriend…sorry, let me correct myself. I don’t understand whythelove of my lifewould do that to me. You thought it would be the best thing for me to vanish from my life. Now, I’m going to be the one to vanish from yours.”

Before I can utter a single word, Grayson storms out of the apartment and slams the door behind him.

I was right.

He’s never going to talk to me ever again. I couldn’t bear to get closer to him without telling him the truth because I would’ve felt like I was living some version of a lie.

He has every right to be angry with me, but I’ve never seen him get like that. His tone had an edge to it, and his face wasn’t the same.

I didn’t get the chance to explain why I left that night because he vacated the premises before I could. I don’t know if a further explanation would’ve made things better or worse.

Pain slices its way through me, and I don’t know if I’m going to be able to numb it this time around. I’m crying so much that I can’t breathe through my nose.

Heartbreak is one of those things that is always going to burn. It doesn’t matter who the person who causes it is, but when it’s someone you loved with every fiber of your being, it’ll feel like you won’t survive without them.

This is how I felt the first time. I didn’t know how to live my life without having Grayson in it. All these good things that happened to me I couldn’t tell him about because we weren’t on speaking terms.

He’s going to follow me everywhere I go. There’s no way to escape him. He’s become a part of me, and I can’t separate him from me.

I hear the sound of the front door being unlocked, but I can’t move. Sage pushes her way in, giving me a minor injury in the process.

“What the hell are you doing sitting against the door?” she asks, her tone emotionless.

“You can tell meI told you so.” I look up at her, so she can see how much of a mess I am.

“What happened?” She sits down next to me.

“I told Grayson the truth about what happened the night of his accident.”

“I’m guessing it didn’t go too well.”

“He’s never going to talk to me again. I’m a horrible person.”

“You know, there’s something I admire about you.”

I narrow my eyes. “And what’s that?”

“How you wear your heart on your sleeve. I used to be like you, but then I got hurt too much, and I decided to hide my heart from everybody. I didn’t want to have the privilege of feeling things. You’re many things, Violet, but a horrible person isn’t one of them. Sometimes our emotions get us into more trouble than when we have them turned off.”

“You’re being nice to me. It’s freaking me out.”

She chuckles. “I’ve never been the person people go to for advice. That’s why I distance myself from you when you tell me you need some. It sounds ridiculous, but I don’t want to give someone the wrong advice and possibly ruin their life.”

“Well, you’re not the only one who gives bad advice. Is it cool if I join the club?”

“Oh, definitely.”

“This is the worst Halloween ever.” Sage sighs. “Did we get any trick-or-treaters?”

“Nope. I bought all this candy for nothing.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s a total loss.” She gets up and grabs the bowl of candy sitting on the stool near the door, putting it in her lap. “You can only take one.”

I pout. “Why can Ionlytake one?”

“I’ve seen how you get when you eat too much sugar.”

“Fine.” I grab one of the mini chocolate bars.