Page 67 of A Wrench in the Plan
“Room’s taken,” he called out.
“It’s me,” I called back.
“What are you doing here?” he asked in a rush as he whipped open the door. He pulled me into his room and then quickly closed the door. “Are you okay?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
“You talked to Chry?” he asked with a roll of his eyes, like he already knew the answer to that question. He walked back over to the bed and flopped down, resting his back against the cheap headboard, making it creak in a way that had me worried.
“Yes, and I left him after he told me some of what happened.”
His eyes bugged out of his head. Then he laughed like he couldn’t believe it.
I smiled despite everything. I sat on the bed, kicking my shoes off before getting comfortable against his side.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly.
He shrugged, then let his head fall against my shoulder.
“He told me he has feelings for you. That he’s pretty sure he’s had them for a while. And that he just can’t do it anymore.”
How dare he! I was not a pawn! Not an excuse for Chry to do stupid things. Now I was really mad at him.
“It was that stupid kiss,” I said, angry that it ever happened.
“Kiss?” he asked, leaning back to look at my face.
He said he knew, that Chry had told him. So why did he look so confused?
“Oh fuck,” he breathed out as if it just clicked in his head. “The kiss he was talking about was with you!”
“I thought you knew,” I said a little defensively. It sounded like he knew when we talked.
“I only knew that he kissed someone. He didn’t say it was…” He looked lost in thought as his words trailed off. “I didn’t give either of you a chance to say.” He laughed. It was on the bitter side, but the way he was shaking his head made it come off more self-deprecating. “How did we get here?”
He settled back against me, head on my shoulder.
I let out a breath, relieved that he wasn’t mad at me, though he had absolutely every right to be.
“You should hate me,” he said, voice soft and full of pain. “Actually, I’m kind of mad that you didn’t tell me you had feelings for him. I feel like shit. I wish I’d known because I never would have…”
“I saw the way he was with you,” I said. “There was something different about you from the start. Chry wanted you. He was drawn to you. I know it was wrong for me to keep it from you, but I did what I thought was best for all of us.”
“This is such a mess,” he said, wrapping his arm around my middle and holding me tight.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, holding him back just as tight.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Evan
Cat and I were curled up together. We hadn’t spoken a word in an hour, but neither of us seemed to be able to find sleep.
I didn’t know what to think of everything that had happened. I’d lost Chry, but at least I hadn’t lost Cat. She was here. She, for lack of a better word, chose me. I’d never known a friendship as strong as this. I didn’t know what to do with it, but the last thing I wanted to do was fuck it up.
A life without Cat in it would be empty.
Still, I hated myself for not seeing how she felt about him. I was also mad about unknowingly putting myself in the middle of them. Being able to be put in that position in the first place. I felt like a shitty person, and an even shittier friend. How could I do this to her? And more so, how could she still be here with me now? She could be with him, she could have everything she dreamed of. It made me feel even worse.
