Page 36 of Don’t Say You’re Sorry (Hawthorne University #2)

EASTON

I grunt and give up on my set a few reps in. I can’t focus, and I’m exhausted. Adam didn’t sleep at all last night, so neither did I.

Axel’s leaving today. Adam’s heartbroken, but honestly, I’m glad he’s moving.

The sooner that judgy little prick is gone, the better.

He’s been giving Adam shit about us for months, and even though Adam never said anything outright, I know it’s been messing with his head.

Even more so this last week. Whatever Axel said to him last Sunday really shook him up.

He’s been quiet and withdrawn ever since.

I left this morning so they could have a proper goodbye without me hovering, but I can’t shake this feeling that my guy needs me right now.

I say goodbye to the guys and leave the gym.

In the parking lot, I climb into my car and go to toss my bag onto the passenger seat, pausing when I see the envelope there.

That wasn’t there when I went into the gym.

Frowning, I pick it up and turn it over.

My name is written on the back in Adam’s handwriting.

He’s left me these before, so I don’t know why I feel so uneasy about this one.

I open the envelope and pull out the postcard.

It’s a drawing of me and him at the drive-in.

I remember that night. It wasn’t long ago.

We were sitting in my car with a ton of snacks and drinks.

Adam’s tastes vary from day to day, and I never know what he’ll be in the mood for, so I always grab one of everything.

In the drawing, I’m feeding him popcorn—I’d mixed the sweet with the salty per his request since he wanted both—and grinning at his beautiful face.

His head is turned toward me, and he’s looking at me with so much love in his eyes, it takes me by surprise in the here and now.

I see that look on his face every day, but I never call him out on it.

I always thought he had no idea how much he gave away when he looked at me.

I know how he feels about me. I feel the same way about him.

But we’ve never voiced those feelings out loud.

We’ve never crossed that line, too afraid to face whatever lies on the other side of it.

Is that what he’s doing now? Is he trying to tell me something?

I smile, my heart thumping in my chest. But when I turn the card over and read the words written on the back, my smile slips right off.

Sunshine,

I’m not sorry.

Love, Adam x

That feeling of unease slams into me with purpose, and my stomach plummets.

“No.” No. He wouldn’t do this. Not to me.

I take in the words again, searching for a different explanation. It has to be something else— anything else.

When I don’t find what I’m looking for, I toss the card on my bag and frantically pull my seat belt on, jabbing my finger into the buttons on the dash as I peel out of the parking lot.

I try to call Adam, but he doesn’t answer.

I try him again, and again, gritting my teeth as my hands shake on the steering wheel.

I’m distantly aware that I shouldn’t be driving like this, but I can’t sit back and let this happen. I won’t.

“Sorry, Mom. I’ll be careful, I promise.”

I call Adam again. He answers this time, his voice coming through the speakers. “Hello?”

“What the fuck are you doing?”

“I…” He pauses, lowering his voice as if he’s afraid someone will hear him talking to me. “What happened? Are you okay? Why are you out of the gym so early?”

“Where are you?”

“At home.”

“Do not leave that house. Do you understand me? I don’t care what he says. Do not go with him. I’m coming, baby.”

He sniffs. I curse. I’m going to kill Axel.

“Okay,” he finally says. “Okay. Be careful.”

“I will.”

I hang up and take a breath, doing my best not to get killed as I speed all the way home.

When I turn onto our street, I see the Uber waiting outside the house. Adam’s standing on the sidewalk a few houses down. I slam on the brakes, screeching to a halt in front of him.

I get out of the car and run to him. His hands are in his pockets, and his head is lowered, his face crumbling when he sees the look on mine. Tears stream over his cheeks, and it takes everything in me not to go to our house and beat the ever-loving shit out of his brother.

How dare he. How fucking dare he.

I cup his face, forcing him to look at me. “Baby, don’t do this.”

Breaking eye contact, he presses his forehead against mine, his hands clutching my wrists in a tight grip. “I have to,” he chokes out.

“No. No, you don’t have to leave. We’ll figure something else out. We’ll…we’ll stop.”

“What?”

“We can go back. Back to being best friends. Back to being brothers?—”

He flinches. “I can’t do that, E. I can’t go back.”

I’m losing him. Fuck, I’m losing him . He’s really going to do it. He’s going to move to London and leave me here.

“Please, Adam,” I beg. “I’ll do anything. I’ll take anything over this. Please, don’t leave me.”

“Easton, let me go,” he whispers.

I quickly release him and take a small step back, looking over when I see Axel walking toward us. I glare at the motherfucker, but he doesn’t bat an eye.

“You dropped this,” he says, stepping closer to hand me my phone.

I snatch it and toss it onto the hood of my car. Just as I’m about to punch him, I see my dad and Veronica standing on the street outside our house, watching us. My shoulders tense.

Adam backs away from me, and I subtly shake my head. “Don’t you dare.”

He flinches. He can’t even look at me.

“Do you love me?”

He says nothing. Nods once.

“Then stay,” I croak. “ Please .”

A small shake of his head.

He’s telling me no.

“I meant what I said. I’m not sorry.”

“Fuck you,” I spit.

He flinches again, quickly wiping the tears off his face before he turns and walks away from me. “Let’s go,” he mutters to Axel.

Axel follows him. I watch them go. With our parents’ eyes on us, I’m forced to do nothing as the boy I love hugs them goodbye and climbs into the back seat of the Uber.

I’m visibly trembling. It takes every ounce of self-control I possess not to rip open that car door and drag him out of there. I want to fight the bastard. Fight for him. Drag him up to my room, tie him to my bed, and throw away the key.

But I can’t do that. Not in front of them. I wouldn’t do that to Adam. It would break his heart. And even though my heart is currently lying on the ground in front of me, I refuse to touch his.

He doesn’t look back at me as the driver pulls away. I don’t take my eyes off the car until it disappears around the corner out of view.

I feel my dad and Veronica staring at me. I think she’s crying, but I don’t look to find out. I grab my phone and get into the driver’s seat. I still don’t look at them as I drive away.