After Loving You by Ashelyn Drake

Author:Ashelyn Drake
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, love, relationships, college, new adult

***

I wait until evening to call Mark. He wasn’t expecting me before that, so I take the day to myself to get my thoughts together. Tee’s right. The thing with Jared isn’t good for anyone. There are four people being affected by it, and that needs to stop. Mark is worth my time and my heart.

“Hello?” he answers, sounding out of breath.

“Hey, it’s Mia.”

“Oh, hey. Hang on a sec.” He shuffles around on the other end, and my heart seizes. Visions of him with another girl invade my mind. I know it’s stupid because he’s not the type to cheat, but the thought sends jealousy coursing through me. That has to mean something. “Sorry about that. I was out running. I just got back to my sister’s place.”

I breathe easier. “I didn’t know you were a runner.”

“I just do it to keep in shape. I don’t compete or anything.”

I’m quiet on the other end, so he continues. “So, you’re back.”

“Yeah.” I pick at a string on my comforter. “I really need to talk to you, but I’m thinking I should do it in person.”

“Uh-oh. Why do I have a feeling I shouldn’t have answered my phone?” He’s not huffing into the phone anymore, and I can’t help wondering if he’s holding his breath.

“Mark, I really like you,” I say, feeling the need to reassure him of my feelings.

“But…”

This can’t wait. I have to tell him now or he’ll be in agony until we see each other. “Something happened. Something I’m not proud of.”

“The guy from back home.” He says it so matter-of-factly.

“We sort of kissed, but it doesn’t mean anything. Nothing’s changed. It was a huge mistake and I came right home.”

“So this happened today, then?”

“Not exactly. I came back last night.”

He doesn’t respond. I wait, giving him time to process this. I can’t push him or I might lose him. “Why did you wait until now to tell me?”

“Things with Jared didn’t end well, and I needed to make sure I knew what that meant for both Jared and me and us.”

“Is there an us?” I hear Sammy yapping in the background and then what sounds like a refrigerator door slamming shut.

“I hope there can be.”

He swallows three times in short succession.

“Rehydrating?” I ask, unable to keep the awkwardness from my voice.

“Beer doesn’t really rehydrate you,” he answers. Wonderful, I’ve driven him to drink.

“I know it doesn’t help, but I’m sorry.”

“Whatever. We just met, right? I guess I don’t really have a right to be angry. You told me about Jared before you left. I should have seen this coming. I shouldn’t be surprised at all. But I am. I’m so fucking mad right now, Mia.” He’s not yelling, and that makes it worse because each word is laced with pain.

“You have every right to be mad at me.”

“But that’s just it. I don’t have a right to be mad. You love him. You told me as much. How can I compete with that?”

My head lowers and my gaze falls on my hand.

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