Everett Holden had sworn to live the rest of his life a single man, but his plans are disrupted when he finds himself sharing an apartment with his best friend's ex - the one woman he detests with every fiber of his being yet simultaneously desires...
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I've imagined this conversation plenty of times in my head. After all, Liam and I never truly spoke about why we broke up. He was leaving for college in Wyoming, and we claimed it was because of the distance, but deep down, we knew there were underlying reasons, but neither of us wanted to hurt the other.
And I've wanted to have this conversation with him. There are so many questions I've needed to ask, but never in my wildest imagination did I believe we'd be having this conversation in the middle of paradise the night before Everett's sister's wedding.
Liam raps his fingers on the doorway, another nervous habit of his. "Can we talk?" He repeats.
A part of me wants to tell him no. Everett just walked out on me to go to his hut to spend the night. What will he do if he figures out Liam isn't there? Even worse, what if he comes back to find both of us in here together and jumps to even more conclusions?
I should search for him, but if there's anything I know about myself, nothing will be productive when I'm this angry and upset. I'll spew at the mouth, say the first thing that comes to mind, and we'll both end up more heartbroken than when we started the fight.
"We can," I decide, "but can we go to the beach or something?"
He nods and steps away from the door, allowing me to pass by him. We walk together silently down the docks, the tension so thick I could cut it with a knife. Liam and I have never had an issue with communication, so the lapse in conversation is almost deafening.
I should have put on a sweater. It's the only thing I can think of as the wind from the water whips through my hair, and it bothers the hell out of me that Liam doesn't offer me his sweatshirt. He wouldn't, considering after the first time he offered all those years ago when we were dating, and it didn't fit. I wouldn't expect him to offer, but my heart wrenches at the memory of waking up in Everett's t-shirt, the fabric falling below my knees. It hasn't even been an hour of him being gone, and I already miss the feel of his arms around me.
When we reach the beach, we sit in the sand where the water almost touches our feet. It's pitch black out here, aside from Liam's flashlight on his phone, which he places between us before releasing a deep sigh. He won't even make eye contact with me.
"Liam, I—"
He shakes his head, covering my hand with his. "Please, don't. I need to go first, okay? I'm afraid I won't be able to do it if I don't." A few beats, and then, "When I moved to Wyoming for college, it wasn't just to get away from Los Angeles. You know as well as I do how my family can be...judgmental when it comes to life decisions, and when I got to Wyoming, it felt like I could be myself for the first time. I didn't have to continue putting on a show every single day of my life. It was exhausting, and the only way I could get through it was you, Emery. You were my best friend, and there were so many times I wanted to..." He sighs heavily, his hand beginning to shake against mine. "Our relationship was my saving grace, but it's also the reason I carry so much fucking guilt."
