Page 71 of Love in Pieces

“I’m sorry, but what exactly is this?” He gestures between Dr. Kraus and me.

“Dallas, that’s no way to speak to your father or your peers. This is Abigail Cooper.”

He looks taken aback as he processes the last sentence. “Yeah, I know who she is. What is she doing here?” His eyes are on me, but he speaks only to his father.

“Oh, you two know each other?” Dr. Kraus looks at me, a small smile on his face, but the smile contorts when he sees my face. I’m sure I look like I’ve seen a ghost. There’s no way my heartbeat can’t be heard outside of my chest. The pit in my stomach grows the longer Dallas stands there.

“What is she doing here?” Dallas asks again.

“She’s my TA. Is that a problem?”

“Wow. Didn’t think that was important to tell me?” he asks, staring directly at me, the anger clear on his face.

“Dal, I meant to tell you. I just—”

“Nope. We’re not having this conversation here. I don’t need to give that man any more ammo.” Dallas storms off, slamming the door behind him. I let out a heavy breath.

“I should go.” I gather my things, heaving my backpack over my shoulder. “Sorry for causing a scene.” I rush out the door before Dr. Kraus can say anything. I didn’t even try looking at his face. I can only imagine what scenarios might be running through his head.

Dallas is almost back in the car when I turn the last corner. He shuts the driver's side door so hard the whole car shakes. He starts it quickly and for a second, I fear he might leave without me. But he waits. I climb in slowly, unsure of how to broach the subject. He leaves the parking lot as I’m still pulling my seatbelt on. It feels too tight, constricting like it's straining the air out of me. I focus on my breathing as we pull onto the main road.

I glance at him from the corner of my eye. His face is hard, flat. His jaw tightens, ears twitching with the movement.

“I should have told you.” I keep my gaze on the road ahead.

He shakes his head but doesn’t respond right away. After a mile or so he finally says, “You think?”

I look down at my lap, at my now destroyed cuticles. “I’m sorry.”

We pull into the apartment parking lot, the car bouncing lightly over the speedbumps. He takes a deep breath. “Fuck, Abby,” he says, his words loud in the small car.

I wince at the phrase; one I’ve heard too often thunder from Sam’s mouth. I rush from the car, through the door, up the stairs, into the apartment, and straight back into my bedroom. It’s all a blur until I close the door softly behind me. I still don’t dare slam doors. That’s been trained out of me by Sam. I didn’t bother looking at Logan when I passed though I could feel his eyes on me for the short trip through the living room.

I fall to the bed, tears soaking the pillow beneath me, trying to control the sobbing. I hear the front door shut a little too hard before Dallas’s door shuts, too. I can only imagine how confused Logan is right now and the thought surprisingly makes me laugh a little. I sit up, drying my cheeks, clinging to a pillow. I tuck my knees in, trying to process everything. I’m both sad and mad at the whole situation. Both sad and mad at myself and Dallas. This isn’t how this was supposed to go. This isn’t how he was supposed to find out. And this certainly isn’t how I wanted him to react. But what’s new? Nothing in my life seems to go right. It always comes to an end.

?CHAPTER 28

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