Page 22 of Always a Chance
“No, stop that. There will be none of that. Talia and I haven’t spoken in a long time. She’s here for her sister. Plus…” I sighed. “She hates me.”
“How could anyone hate you? You’re like everyone’s favorite person.” She paused. “Don’t tell Shane.”
That brought a laugh out of me. “Shane is no one’s favorite person.” But neither was I. I spent my life lying. Until recently, I was even lying to those closest to me.
“She’s leaving.” Rae shoved me. “Go talk to her.”
“No.”
“If you don’t, I will.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
She pressed her lips together, her eyes narrowing. “You really want to take that chance?”
No. It was Rae. She wasn’t above meddling. “Don’t you have a job?”
“Beauty of working for yourself. I can bug you anytime I want.” She pushed me again. “Now, go.”
There was no getting out of this. I sent Rae one scathing look before turning. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rae join Nate and Jamie. The three of them laughed about something, and I had a feeling that something was me.
No going back now.
Except, I couldn’t do this, couldn’t just walk up to her and start a conversation. Not with the way she hurriedly packed her belongings, wanting to get out of here as quickly as possible. She was running. From me.
I rubbed a hand over the tightness in my chest before turning and walking toward my friends instead. Rae rolled her eyes as I approached.
“Chicken sh—”
“Hey now,” Jamie cut in. “Let’s be nice to the kid.”
I sent him a scowl, and he laughed. He knew I hated being called the kid, despite our twenty-year age difference. Just because he fell in love with his childhood enemy and was now happily married didn’t mean he knew a thing about me.
Nate was the only one who showed any sympathy. “Bro, that girl has you wrecked.”
“Not true,” I grumbled.
They all shared a look before Jamie clapped me on the back. “Sure, man. It’s totally normal for a grown man to avoid his closest friend.”
I leveled Rae with a look. “What has my dear sister-in-law been telling you?”
Rae didn’t look regretful in the least. “Just the truth. You and Talia used to be so cute running around together.”
“Cute,” I scoffed. Before everything went to pot. Before graduation night and the pain that followed. “Stop filling their heads with nonsense.”
“It’s not nonsense, it’s—”
“Over.” I stared at each of them in turn. “Talia and I were friends, the best. But we grew up. Some people aren’t meant to stay in your life, and Tal… It’s not important. Whatever we were to each other is gone forever. It can never come back. So, stop sticking your noses into my business.”
“Johnny,” Rae started.
I shook my head. “I don’t get mad often, Rae, but I’m about to throw you in the ocean.”
That shut her up. Without another word, I took off across the sand, needing space to think and wishing Talia Hillson had never come home.
12
TALIA
