Failed class? What is she…
The ringing in my ears intensifies. Callie keeps talking but all I can hear are those two words.
Failed class.
What? How?
“She gave you everything, and it wasn’t enough. I lost my family, Nixon, but coming here, finding Hayden, you, Chloe, Yasmin… it has given me a new family I didn’t even think I needed. You don’t hurt your family.”
“Callie, I’m so—”
“I don’t want your apologies, Nixon,” she snaps at me without giving me a chance to finish. “I want you to get your head straight and figure out what the hell you’re doing with your life and who do you want to have by your side.”
With another shake of her head, she turns around and leaves. I expect Hayden to follow, but he just leans against the wall.
The silence stretches between us. I sit in my wet bed, contemplating what was the moment that everything went to shit. I asked Yasmin to go just to help her avoid all this bullshit, but like with everything else I touch lately, I destroy it.
I destroyed her.
I run my hand through my wet hair. “I messed this up royally, didn’t I?”
“I think Callie referred to you as a major dickhead, so yeah.”
“Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?”
“Callie?” He sighs. “She just needs time. You hurt Yasmin, and she’s family to her.”
“I wanted to save her from this mess. I know how hard she worked to get where she is today. But she was already spending so much time with me, taking care of Jade and me.”
I close my eyes as the images of my last conversation with Jade flash in my mind, all the awful things we said.
I’ll never forgive myself that the last words we spoke to each other were said in anger.
Two women. Two of the most important women in my life, and I managed to hurt them both in a matter of hours.
“I didn’t…” I let the question hang in the air, not sure what I want to know. “Nothing happened?”
“Apart from you getting so drunk you puked all over the downstairs bathroom and using some Karen chick as your buffer, nothing happened.”
“I didn’t…?”
“Kiss her?” he supplies. “Sleep with her? Nah, bro, you’re good. She wanted to, don’t get me wrong, but you couldn’t get her claws off yourself fast enough as soon as Yasmin was out of the room.”
I sigh as relief washes over me. At least there is that. I just have to convince her that I was a clueless asshole when I thought I could do this without her.
That I love her and hope that she takes me and all of my broken pieces back.
Chapter Forty-One
YASMIN
“Grace?” I ask, my mouth hanging open in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Yasmin!” My friend crashes into me, wrapping me in her arms. “It’s so good to see you.”
I pull away, still not believing it, and look between my mom and Grace. “What? How?”
“Grace came to visit me that day you called all in tears. So, I said I’d come and see what’s going on here for myself, and she asked if she could tag along.”
“And since your mom was going, J.D. wasn’t a complete pain in my ass about letting me come.” Grace rolls her eyes, but her smile is even bigger if possible.
“Is there a time your brother isn’t a pain in the ass?” I joke, knowing damn well since I’ve met J.D. Shelton on a few occasions in the past. He’s this huge grizzly bear who’s super protective of his family and has an especially soft spot for his little sister and wife. I still remember the fuss he made when Grace went out on her first date.
“Shocking, isn’t it?” Grace loops her arm through mine. “So what’s this I’ve heard about you crying?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Then it’s good that we’re staying for the weekend. Now spill.”
“First coffee and some sweets,” Mom says decisively, looping her arm through mine. “Where can we find some delicious cheesecake?”
“I know just the place.”
“Well you sure were busy,” Grace comments, leaning into her chair and looking at me across the small table.
“Busy unintentionally destroying my life? Sure.”
I took them to Cup It Up, since there wasn’t a better place to get your coffee fix on and have something sweet before lunch. The place was busy, but when Monica saw me she managed to find us a small table out on the terrace. Since the weather is finally getting warmer she decided to open it so she can accommodate more people. At least I think so, since I haven’t been picking up as many shifts as I used to. I was actually surprised she didn’t throw me out on my ass when she saw me.
“You didn’t destroy your life, Yasmin. It’s one class. So what? Everybody messes up every once in a while. It’s not even that you messed up because you were partying, you were helping out a friend who needed it.”
“I’d hoped that maybe if I managed to keep good grades I’d be able to qualify for a scholarship next year. Or if not, at least I’ll graduate early if I continue with a full workload. I didn’t want to depend on him more than necessary.”
They know who the him I’m talking about is, so I don’t have to explain it.
“You should have said something. You know J.D. would…”
“I love you Gracie, but no.” I place my hand on hers before she can even finish. “I know if I’d said something last year, you’d have done the same. And I appreciate and love you for it, but I hate feeling like I owe people something.”
“I’m not just somebody.”
“You’re my friend, it only makes it worse.”
Grace sighs. “I want to say I don’t understand, but I do.”
We share a knowing look. I knew if anybody would be able to understand me it’s her.
Grace didn’t always come from money. She spent the first twelve years of her life living with her addict mother, until her half-brother finally found out about her and dug her out of the shithole that was her life.
Mom and I never had much, but we had each other. I had a roof over my head, food on my plate, and somebody who loved me. Grace didn’t have any of those things.
“So yeah, now I don’t know what will happen. My grades are down, so the scholarship is out of the question. I had a fight with Coach, and even if I didn’t, I’m not sure I’d be able to go back. We don’t have the money to pay for tuition. I guess I’ll just have to take a year off or something to save some money and come back in the future.”
That will suck, but not getting my degree is out of the question. I’m not going to disappoint Mom like this. I’m not going to disappoint myself like this.
So what if it’ll take longer? It wouldn’t be the first time I had to take a harder route to get to my goal. And yeah, my friends will probably finish college by then, but that’s a good thing. At least that way I won’t have to see Nixon’s stupid face and different girls hanging on his arm.
Yes, this will be a good thing. It doesn’t matter that my heart hurts just at the thought of never seeing his stupid face again. I’ll get over it. Somehow, some way, I will.