Page 17 of Resurrection
He stands when I’m close, all long limbs and tattoos and that rockstar attitude, as familiar as the old desert wind and just as impossible to catch.
I slow down, wanting him to be the one who speaks first.
But Tyler’s quiet. His blue eyes meet mine, and I’m not sure if I want to slap him or hug him. His mouth opens, but just like earlier, nothing comes out. Awkward doesn’t even begin to cover it. The distance between us feels like miles, and it’s all his doing.
I cross my arms on my chest and stare at him.
He runs a hand through his hair, messing it up more than it already was, and finally mutters, "Naomi. I didn’t think?—"
The rest of his sentence gets lost as I look away, my eyes on the sunset. "I didn’t expect to see you here."
"I can leave," Tyler mumbles as if he’s doing me a favor by even offering.
I contemplate, wondering that if I pretend I don’t care, it’ll come true. I hear him exhale, a shaky, uncertain sound that pulls me back.
There’s a long pause where the world seems to hold its breath. No way I’m letting him off that easy. "No. I’ve got something to say."
The park empties out, kids and parents vanishing into the orange glow of the setting sun. The place is all ours now, just like it used to be. We stand there, two ghosts clinging to a past neither of us knows how to bury.
Tyler shoves his hands into his pockets, and I see his lips press into a tight line. My heart is a pounding drum in my chest, but I keep my voice steady. This is it. I get to unload everything that’s been dragging me down.
"Why, Ty?" I say, the words breaking through like floodwaters. "We had itall planned. A lifetime together. You and me. And then—" I can’t finish the sentence, because saying it out loud makes it real, makes all the anger come to the surface.
He shifts like he’s trying to dodge the blame, but I’m not letting him off the hook. Not this time.
"You didn’t even have the guts to say goodbye. You just left." My voice is sharper than I thought it would be. "Like a coward."
Tyler lowers his gaze. I’m not used to seeing him this way—a little defeated. Not the guy who used to light up every room he walked into.
"I should have talked to you."
"Damn right," I snap. "I bet my life on you, Tyler Brady."
"I didn’t know what to say," Tyler admits. "I didn’t want to be the one to?—"
"To what?" I cut him off. "To choose for me? Because that’s exactly what you did. You made the choice for both of us."
He winces, and I see it hit him. Good. Let him feel it. The hurt, the betrayal, everything he’s put me through. I drop my arms to my sides. My fists clench, and I take a step back, needing the space to keep myself together.
"I was eighteen years old, Naomi. I thought I was doing what was best," he supplies softly. "You had your future mapped out. I didn’t want to be the one to mess that up."
"Mess that up?" I’m practically yelling now, the words too hot to hold in. "We were supposed to be in it together. Remember?"
Tyler nods, slow and regretful, and it makes me hate him and love him all at once. The feelings are so tangled, I can barely see straight.
"I didn’t know how to explain." His voice cracks, just enough for me to hear it. "I believed I was doing right by you."
"Do you have any idea how stupid I felt?"
I turn away, fighting the tears that threaten to give me away. I don’t want him to see how much it still hurts.
"That wasn’t my intention."
"Right."
The silence that follows is heavier than anything I’ve ever felt.
"I am sorry," he whispers. "I should have said that a long time ago. You deserved much more, and I was an asshole."
