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A war was happening inside of me. I needed to stay away from her. But I didn’t want to. She’d still been one of my best friends until I broke her heart, and she was hurting right now.
Nick wasn’t here this time to police me, and as much as I should have been scared of what he would say, I found that I was more worried about Stella.
“I know this is gonna be tough for her.”
“So, areyougoing to make it tough? Are you going to act pained to see her, or are you going to put away your stupidity and be her friend again?”
I was silent. I didn’t know how to be friends with Stella. I only knew how to want more.
“Oh my God,” Winnie said. I could hear the eye roll in her voice. “Is it this hard for you? You used to hang around her all the time, and after you had sex with her,you left. You’re no better than the kids who made fun of her for wearing colors.”
“Excuse me?” I snapped. “I’ve never said that was the problem.”
“Struck a nerve, did I? I’ve got news for you, buddy. You made her feel like they did. It doesn’t matter what justification you tell yourself—you left. By never talking to her, she got the message loud and clear. Are you going to continue that trend?”
I gritted my teeth, knowing going toe-to-toe with Winnie wasn’t in my best interest. I knew Stella didn’t like me, but I tried my best to believe that she’d kept her head high and never thoughtshewas the problem when it came to our doomed one-night stand.
“No,” I said. “I’m not.”
“Good. Because if another man makes her feel like she’s not enough, I might go to jail. Get over whatever bullshit you’re feeling, Alden, and treat Stella like a queen like she deserves.”
She hung up without another word. I let out a sigh when she did. Winnie was a terrifying woman, but she managed to say the one thing that would throw my plan out the window.
SEVEN
STELLA
I was halfwaythrough my soup when I got a text.
Winnie
I decided to be proactive and go ahead and threaten Alden. You should be good now.
Winnie. No. I thought you said we didn’t have to talk about it.
YOU don’t have to talk about it, but someone needs to tell him what a dick he is.
I didn’t have time to process what she had before the door swung open and Alden walked in. My eyes flew to him, only to find him already looking at me.
My frazzled brain struggled tocome up with anything to say. Did I apologize on behalf of Winnie or did I tell him he deserved it?
He opened his mouth and I settled on an answer before he could speak.
“Don’t worry about what Winnie said. You don’t have to be nice to me. I’m good.”
“I wasn’t ... How did you know she called?”
“She told me. And I get it. She’s worried, but she has no reason to be. I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. Even I can see that.”
Okay, then. I guess I wasn’t lying my way out of this. “Maybe I’m not fine, but you don’t have to force yourself to be nice to me. I don’t care what she threatened you with?—”
He let out a long sigh. “It wasn’t much of a threat. She only told me how I made you feel. That was enough.”
“What—you didn’t know you hurt me?”
“I know I did,” he said. “But I didn’t know that it made you question ...you.That was never my goal.”