It Could Be More | ✔

29. A Good Thing

After the show, Liah left with her parents and Vik to have dinner at some fancy restaurant. Everything happened so fast, we didn't get a chance to talk. That was for the best, because she'd definitely ask about Corey. I held it together throughout the musical, but I wasn't sure I could keep it up much longer.

On the plus side, Gray and Corey seemed to be talking again. They left together in Gray's car after the show. That either meant their friendship was back on track, or Gray was going to murder him over what happened with Shamika.

Corey called me selfish once. If this empty pit in my chest was the result of being selfless, then I had the right idea back then.

When I got home, Mom invited me to watch a movie with her and Hudson. The idea of being in the presence of a happy couple sounded like torture.

I knew it was my own fault. I did this to myself. But that didn't make it all hurt less. Actually, it didn't hurt. I was numb to it. Like when I fell at Myisha's party. I didn't feel the pain of my head hitting the floor or the embarrassment of eating it in front of everybody. It felt like it had happened to someone else and I was a bystander watching it all.

For like a minute, until my head started throbbing, I was completely fine.

I was completely fine now, hollow, but okay.

● ● ●

The next morning, I woke up to shouting. At first, I thought someone was arguing, then I realized it was Gray yelling at his game. I also noticed it was closer to noon than morning.

I grabbed my phone from the floor where it must've fallen after I fell asleep staring at pictures of me and Corey. My notifications were mostly from Liah--missed calls, texts, a voicemail that she must've sent by accident because it was just her talking and laughing with Vik.

"I think my dad has a crush on you," Liah said over the message.

I couldn't hear Vik's response, but it made her laugh.

"No. You're the first." A pause as Vik said something I didn't catch, then, "It didn't feel fair to Harlow. I guess I was waiting for her to find someone so we could do this together. Now, she's got Corey--"

The message ended there. All at once, what happened last night--what I did--hit me so hard I couldn't breathe. A delayed reaction I should've prepared myself for. The look on Corey's face as I walked away from him was clearer than ever in my mind. I didn't even tell him why. I didn't realize I'd started crying until the saltiness hit my lips.

To make things worse, Grayson wasn't alone in his room. Corey's laugh carried through the annoyingly thin wall that separated my room from my brother's.

How could he be laughing when I felt like I was dying? Shouldn't it had been the other way around? I broke up with him. He should've been the one crying his eyes out.

I had to leave.

After getting dressed, I left walking. I had no destination in mind, just my headphones. Music up loud enough to drown out my thoughts. I focused on the lyrics as I walked past the spot in the driveway where Corey first kissed me, and down the street where he got everyone to turn on their lights for me.

The houses were decked out for winter, but I could easily remember the way it looked on Halloween. Was that my future? Looking at something and being instantly reminded of Corey? I just had to keep reminding myself that Grayson needed Corey more than I did.

"Watch out!"

I looked up from the sidewalk just in time to dodge the bright yellow ball about to take my head off.