Page 104 of Almost Rotten

Then, because obviously he’s compelled to make sure his romantic declaration landed okay, he asks, “Is that all right, honey?”

I close my eyes, nod, and inhale deeply, reveling in the way his cedarwood and sweet honey scent mingles with the smell of burning leaves.

It’s more than all right.

We’re going to be okay. I’ll make sure of it.

But before we can move forward, there’s something Noah and Mercer both need to know.

With a fortifying breath, I sit up a little straighter. “I need to tell you something. I—” My voice cracks and the apples of mycheeks sting as I fight to hold back tears. “I fucked up. And then I just kept fucking up—” A sob catches me by surprise, followed by a hiccup.

“Hey,” he soothes, caressing my nape. “You’re okay, honey. Just talk to me.”

Words catch in my throat. All that comes out are fresh tears.

He frowns in concern, his focus drifting from me to the road and back again.

“Did you hurt someone?” he finally asks. There’s a bite to his tone, an underlying honesty that tells me that’s a dealbreaker where he’s concerned.

Did I hurt someone?

“Technically, yes.”

I hurt myself. I blatantly hurt Mercer. Inadvertently I hurt Tytus. And I hurt Noah, too.

A low grumble vibrates through his chest. “Did you intentionally hurt someone?”

I suck in a shuddering breath and steal a quick glance. He’s staring at the road, his speed slow. He deserves the truth.

“No,” I whisper, shaking my head. I didn’t set out to hurt anyone. That’s the truth. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. But I wasn’t faithful to you or to Mercer.”

My confession is met with silence.

Heavy, noxious, stifling silence presses me back into the seat and makes it hard to breathe.

After several torturous seconds, he finally speaks. “Your friend? The hockey player?”

My heart cracks right down the middle. “Yes.”

He grips the wheel tighter. “Fuck,” Head whipping my way, he spears me with a look. “Do you want to be with him?”

No.

My response is visceral, a pulsing in my veins.

But is it the honest truth?

It wasn’t. There was a time—a glimmer of hope—when I thought I could give in to my connection with Tytus and still be with Mercer and Noah, too. But that line of thinking has imploded over the last several days.

I can’t have these menandthe first boy I ever loved.

I have to choose, and after this weekend, my choice is abundantly clear.

I thought that when I let go of the idea of Ty and me, that would be it. I’d release my hope and it would dissipate into the ether. I didn’t realize just how tightly he was holding on or how hard he’d fight to maintain his grip.

I don’t want to want him.

But none of this has been as simple or clear-cut as I thought it would be.