Page 35 of Collateral Damage
“I don’t want to ride with you,” she snaps.
“But we always take you home.” Our parents’ apartments are only five blocks apart, both on the north side of Central Park. It’s not much distance; there’s no reason for her to get her own car. Not unless something happened.
“What did Ethan do?”
She turns, lifting her sunglasses to rest against her hairline. Her eyes are almost as red as her hair, shimmering with unshed tears. My stomach swoops, and I itch to wipe away the proof of her pain.
“Ethan broke up with me last night,” she says.
Shock ricochets through me like a fucking pinball. “Ethan broke up with you?”
“Yes.”
Her voice is soft and defeated, a wisp of her normal self.
I shake my head, pressing my lips together.
It doesn’t make sense. He’s obsessed with her. He loves her. He’s already picked out a ring. I should know; I helped him choose it last month. As much as I hated every minute of that experience, I want my brother to be happy, same as I want Sybil to be happy. That’s exactly why I’ve supported their relationship from day one. Why I’ve kept my feelings buried.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” She drops the sunglasses on her nose, freckles scrunching around the frames as she fights tears. “I’ll talk to you later. Go be with your brother.”
She turns, head held high as if she isn’t breaking on the inside.
White-hot anger torches through me. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Sybil and Ethan are the best people I know. They’re supposed to be together. Ethan can’t just break up with her—that will ruin not only their relationship, but the balance of friendship between the three of us. Not to mention our parents are going to lose their shit.
I storm to the car, practically ripping the door off its hinges as I open it and barrel inside. “What the fuck did you do?”
“So she told you.” His mouth is set in a grim line, but his eyes are heavy with pain.
My hands flex into fists involuntarily, and I force them to strap on the seatbelt instead. “She said you broke up with her.”
He nods.
“Un-fucking-believable.”
“Stop, Cooper.”
“You have this once-in-a-lifetime girl, and you’re going to throw her away?”
He shakes his head as if I wouldn’t understand, and that movement alone kills me. If I had her, I’d never break it off. But I don’t have her. He does.
Or he did.
“Tell me why,” I demand. My voice has gone dark, rage simmering on the other side.
He bristles. “It’s none of your business.”
Those five words spear me right through me, carving out my soul.
I don’t want them to be true. We’re all best friends. Sure, it’s not my relationship, but what they do directly affects my life. That makes it my business, even though deep down, I know it’s not.
The driver starts the ignition, and we’re off. Ethan doesn’t talk. Hewon’ttalk. All through the silent drive, I keep my gaze pinned on him. I’m trying to read him, to understand what could’ve possibly caused him to break up with Sybil days after our college graduation.
Is he angry about it? Heartbroken over her? Relieved to be done with her?
The guy is an unreadable fortress when he wants to be. That’s the thing about Ethan. He knows how to shut down his emotions like a pro, a skill modeled by our parents. I’m not so talented.
A half hour of silence later, and I can’t take it anymore. We’re almost home, and I’m not getting out of this car without answers, but maybe I need to have some compassion for the guy. He’s obviously sad.
