Page 4 of Basil

He let out a tired, humorless chuckle, rubbing a hand down his face. “Jesus, Summer. You’re blowing this way out of proportion.”

I stared at him, stunned. “I watched it happen, Basil.”

“And what, exactly, did yousee?” His eyes flicked to mine, sharp and dismissive. “A hug, a platonic kiss? A friend being affectionate?” He let out another laugh, but this one was colder. “God, do you even hear yourself? You’re so fucking insecure, just like Drew says you are.”

The words hit like a slap.

I sucked in a sharp breath, but he wasn’t done.

“You always do this,” he went on, shaking his head. “You twist things into something they’re not. You overthink, you get jealous, and then I’m the bad guy for not entertaining your paranoia.”

I clenched my jaw, my nails digging into my palms. “You really think I’m just making this up? That this is about me being too sensitive?”

His gaze flickered with irritation. “Yeah, I do.”

My stomach dropped.

“Do you know that Gareth just told me how lucky I am to have you, and I must have a golden pussy that’s tight and?—”

“He’s drunk,” Basil cut me off. “He says stupid shit when he’s drunk. It means fuck all.”

“It’s disrespectful, Basil.”And if you loved me, really loved me as you say you do, you’d know that.

I had fought for this relationship. Fought to belong in his world, to fit in, to ignore the way his colleagues and friends dismissed me. And every time I told him how much it hurt, he had the same response—it’s nothing, they don’t mean it, you’re overreacting.

“It’s dumb, but it has nothing to do withyou, he’s an ass to everyone.” Basil looked at me with disgust, like he had 99 problems, and his bitch was definitely one. “We can’t keep fighting every time we’re around my friends. I get along withyourfriends just fine, why can’t you with mine? I wish you’d loosen up a little, Summer.”

Because my friends are wonderful, caring, loving people while yours are a whole other level of vile and toxic.

“Stop being so fucking insecure. Grow a spine, will you?”

There was hurt, and then there was this.Pain.

This was worse than when my foster mother beat me for wetting the bed. Worse than another foster mother calling me a whore for holding a boy’s hand. This was so much worse—because I loved him.

But I was practical. I didn’t believe in soulmates or everlasting love. I’d seen too many people suffer in the name of it, too many women broken down and gaslighted into thinking they were the problem when, really, it was the men they loved who were fucked up. I wasn’t going to be one of them.

“You know what, Basil? You’re right.”

Surprise flickered across his face. “I?—”

“I do need to grow aspine.” My throat burned, but I pushed through.

“Sunshine”—remorse dripped all over my name—“I lost my temper, that’s not what?—"

“I do need to grow a spine,” I cut him off. “I need to do itawayfrom you.”

His brows furrowed. “Summer?—”

“We’re done.” I straightened my shoulders, my hands steady now. I began to pack up the things that were in his bedroom into the duffel bag I brought along for my overnight stays.

“What?”

I threw my Kindle and its charger into the bag. “You heard me.”

He gripped my shoulder and turned me around. “You’re going to leave because Drew gave me a hug?”

I removed his hand from touching me, my grip strong. “No, I’m leaving you because you don’t respect me. I’m leaving you because your friends are awful to me. I’m leaving you because by making excuses for them,youare awful to me. I’m leaving you because I don’t believe you love me, and if this went on, then not only will my love for you die, but it’ll die in a way where I’ll become bitter. I’m not going to do that to myself. I want to look back at our time together and smile—which I can still do if I ignore the time I’ve had to spend with your toxic friends.”

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