A Twist of Fate ↠ Scott Hoying

25. Did You Tell Her?

I hadn't spoken to Scott or Shane in four days. Actually, I hadn't spoken to almost anybody in four days. I had never had my heart broken before, not like this, and it killed me that I was the one who caused it. What was worse, I was so overwhelmed with swirling visions of Scott and Shane that I could barely think straight . 

So, I read. Reading always made me feel better because focusing on the fake problems of my beloved characters was always a lot better than facing my own. I dove into all kinds of different novels, and I read all day. 

There was a knock on my door. 

"Dawn, I'll eat in a minute, I promise."

The door opened and Angelina and drew walked in. "Oh, I'll make sure of that," she said. 

"Hey," I said, straightening up a little in my bed. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We're busting you out of here for a day on the town," Drew said, smirking. 

I groaned. "No thanks."

"No, you are coming with us, Scar. You can't sit here wallowing in self pity forever," Angelina said. 

"I am not wallowing in self pity. I'm just catching up on my reading."

Drew gestured to the large pile of books on my bed, "Well, this is a little extreme. And no offense, but you don't look the best at the moment."

I looked down at my old t-shirt and sweatpants. My hair was a mess and I had no makeup on. "You may have a point," I said reluctantly. 

"Yeah, I do!" he grinned. "Alright, come on, doll yourself up and let's get out of here."

I sighed. "Okay."

I still didn't look my best when we left. I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and my hair was in a (only slightly messy) ponytail, with a blotchy layer of foundation and some half-assed mascara. It was the best I could do at the moment. Drew and Angelina took me all over town, but even my favorite book store couldn't lift my spirits, which seriously freaked Angelina out because that had never ever happened before. 

We were stopping at a coffee shop when it happened. I saw him. I had been dreaming, (can you call it dreaming when it was more nightmare-ish?) about what I would say to him but now it was all happening very fast. I recognized him immediately after opening the door. I stopped dead in my tracks, though when I noticed that Scott was not alone. He was with a woman, a very pretty woman who I had only seen in pictures. Austin's mom. 

I had asked about her before, of course. Her name is Jen, they met right after high school, it was obvious even before Austin was born that things weren't going to work out. Jen had no interest in being a mother, so Scott got full custody. I never thought about her much, to be honest. But they were both adults now, more responsible, more experienced. Are they on a date? So soon after we ended things?

He was laughing at something she said. A real laugh, the ones that used to come out when I did something funny without meaning to. I felt an ache in my gut. Angelina and Drew came in just behind me and they saw him, too. We were stuck in a dilemma: do I go in and force out a horribly awkward conversation with the only person I've ever been in love with or run in the other direction. Either way, I had to move out of the doorway eventually, and the choice was made for me when Scott looked up and caught my eye. 

His face fell when he saw me and it was the worst moment of my life. Worse than anything that had been said what felt like months ago. 

Drew noticed his face and nudged me into the coffee shop. "You can't run away forever. You have to live your life," he murmured to me.