"Don't you dare fucking follow me," I said quietly enough for only him to hear. "You got what you wanted from me. Just...please leave me alone." I stood up. "It was nice meeting all of you," I said without looking at any of them. I walked as quickly as I could toward the hotel.
Chapter 32
Rob
"Daphne!" I yelled, but it just made her walk turn into a run.
I turned around to glare at my friends. They were all silent. I clenched my hand into a fist. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
"What? She deserved to know the truth," Matt said.
"The truth? I didn't even get a chance to tell her the truth thanks to you."
"Calm down, you weren't going to see her after tonight anyway."
Fucking idiot. "I like her."
"I don't really see why that changes anything."
"It changes everything." I stood up.
"I don't understand why, it's not like it was going anywhere."
"Matt, stop," Mason said.
I didn't want to tell my friends that I had had a crush on Daphne for over a year and that I didn't have the balls to talk to her on campus. This was my one shot. I didn't just like Daphne, I really liked her. And Matt had just blown it for me.
"Fuck all of you." I stood up and started to follow Daphne. I could explain what happened to her. It was just one of those stupid cards. It didn't mean anything. And it was before she showed up. I would never hurt her.
"Rob, wait up." James grabbed my shoulder.
I shook his hand off. "I don't need your help."
"But I think if you..."
"You know what? I don't need saving, so stop fucking trying to save me."
"I didn't say that you did." He looked hurt by what I just said. But I didn't have time to care about his feelings. I was just pissed off, and I wanted to find Daphne. I wasn't going to lose her like this. I had blown my first chance with her by never speaking to her back on campus. There was no way in hell I was going to blow my second chance too.
"Just stop meddling in my life, James. We're not kids anymore. I don't need you fixing everything for me. I can take care of myself." I pushed through the doors and was glad that he didn't follow me. Instead of taking the elevator, I ran up the stairs. If I didn't get rid of some of this adrenaline, I was going to lose my mind.
I stopped on her floor and caught my breath before knocking on her door. "Daphne, open up." I hit her door with my fist again.
The door opened slowly and Alina stepped out, closing the door behind her. "She's not here, Rob." She started walking toward the elevator doors.
"Then where is she?" I followed her toward the elevator.
"Maybe you should just give her some space?" She hit the down button. "I feel like she probably wants to be alone right now."
"I think that's for her to decide, don't you?"
Alina shifted uncomfortably. "She's been having a hard time here. I think that she just needs some time."
"We just had a misunderstanding, I'm going to fix it."
"That's not what I'm talking about. I just don't think she's in a good place. I'm going to go after her, so you don't have to worry about it."
"I'm already worried about it."
"She needs me right now. I'll take care of her. I think you should just stay here."
"I want to be the one that she needs."
Alina searched my face. "Rob, despite how it may seem, this isn't about you."
I'm pretty sure it is. "Then what's it about?"
The doors dinged open and she stepped toward the elevator.
"What is it about?" I asked again.
"I let her down. We never should have come here. If Kristen had told me this was her plan, I would have made her change it. But when we got here, Daphne seemed okay. She actually seemed happy with you and I thought we'd all be able to keep her distracted..." she let her voice trail off.
I grabbed Alina's wrist so she couldn't get on the elevator. "Distracted from what?"
Alina looked like she wanted to cry. "Missing him."
I couldn't help it. Jealousy seared through me. Of course a girl like Daphne was involved with someone. But maybe she was missing him because they had broken up. Maybe there was still a chance for me.
"I miss him too," Alina said. "I don't think she realizes how much I miss him. Maybe we should have talked about it more. I just didn't know how. She always looks so upset whenever something reminds her of him. We shouldn't have come here." Alina burst into tears.
Oh, shit. I let go of her wrist, but that just made her cry even harder. The elevator doors closed without either of us getting on. "It's okay," I said and put my arms around her. I lightly patted her back. She pressed her face against my chest, leaving what I hoped were tears and not snot on my skin.
I had no idea what this girl was so upset about. I waited it out, continuing to pat her back until her tears slowed down. "So, who are you two missing? An ex-boyfriend or something?"
Alina pulled back and wiped her eyes with her hands. "She didn't tell you last night? I would have thought she'd tell you with everything that was going on. But she has such a hard time talking about it. We all do."
"Tell me what?"
"About her brother."
"She said she didn't have any siblings."
Alina nodded her head. "I guess she technically doesn't anymore."
My insides twisted in knots. Daphne had been so good with James last night. Was it because she was used to having someone to take care of? Maybe she hadn't been judging me and my brother at all. Maybe she was just worried. Please don't let it have been drugs.
Alina looked down at the floor. "He died of an overdose."
I was such an asshole. She was worried that I'd lose James like she had lost her brother. "Where did she go?" I hit the elevator button.
"I don't know. She said something about not being scared to live. I thought she might be heading back to the zip lining course? She wouldn't do it earlier because she said she was scared. I was going to check there first."
"I'm going to go talk to her."
"Rob, she needs me."
No, she needs me. "I'm more familiar with the walking paths. Just look around the hotel." I stepped onto the elevator and hit the door close button before she could join me.
I had told Daphne I wasn't dumb enough to lose James. That must have made her feel guilty for something that couldn't possibly be her fault. And now she was alone, trying to prove to herself that she wasn't scared. I didn't blame her for being scared. And she shouldn't be alone. She should be with me.
As soon as the elevator doors opened I started running as fast as I could.
Chapter 33
Daphne
I should have never come here. I shouldn't have gotten on the plane. What was I thinking? I tripped on a root and fell onto my knees. I had been crying so hard that I couldn't see anything.
Part of me wanted to curl up in a ball and just continue to cry. I wanted to cry and scream and curse. I wanted to throw things. Because none of this was fair.