Page 101 of His Temptation

“Say you love me too.”

“You know I do,” he said, his bottom lip trembling. He then stepped to the side and put more distance between us. “Goodbye, Emery.”

As he walked away from me, I stared at his retreating form and felt the last bit of hope in my chest crumble. It really was the end.

***

“I know you’re mad, but please talk to me,” I said, standing outside Ryan’s dorm room as he held the door, about to slam it in my face.

“I don’twantto talk to you,” he said. “You and Cason can go fuck yourselves.”

“We’re not together anymore.” Admitting it aloud hurt so damn much.

“Oh yeah?” A dry laugh left him. “Don’t let me get in the way of your relationship. That didn’t seem to matter before, so why does it now?”

“I’m sorry you’re hurt, Ryan—”

“Hurt?” Ryan interjected. “I’m nothurt, I’m fucking pissed. Because two people I love went behind my back. Now leave before I call campus security.”

He slammed the door in my face, and I stumbled back a step. Giving in to temptation had cost me everything.

Lonely and depressed, I stopped by the liquor store on my way home. And then I drank… and drank some more, as if the answer to my heartache lay at the bottom of the bottle. I called Cason again, and the call went to voicemail after two rings.

So then I called Jay. I had told him about the breakup a few days ago but had lied about how upset I was. I couldn’t lie anymore. I needed a friend.

“Hey, Cross,” he answered, sounding out of breath. A voice in the background murmured something before I heard a faint moan. “You caught me at a bad time.”

“Come over,” I said, lying in my empty bed. In my empty house. The alcohol buzzed in my veins and made me slur my words. “I don’t wanna be alone.”

“Jesus Christ, you’re a mess,” he said, sighing. “Fine. I’ll be over in a few.”

Twenty minutes later, Jay was knocking on my door. I let him inside, and he took one look at me and cursed under his breath.

“What the hell are you doin’ to yourself?” He guided me over to the couch and curled his nose at the collection of empty beer bottles.

“Sorry I interrupted your night,” I said, leaning my head back against the cushion.

“Yeah, you should be.” Jay started gathering the bottles, muttering in Russian under his breath. “I had a nice piece of ass in front of me and was just about to fuck him.”

“Piano man?”

“No,” Jay answered. “It was some guy I picked up at the bar.”

“You didn’t have to come over. But I’m glad you did.”

Jay left the living room and came back moments later with a glass of water. “Drink this. Don’t make that face and do it.”

I sipped the water before setting the glass on the side table.

“Look, I know how tempting it is to drink away your pain, but it’s not the answer.” Jay sat beside me on the couch. “The thing that made you drink in the first place will still be there when you sober back up.”

“Not if I keep drinking.”

“Smart, Cross. Become a drunk and lose your job as well as your relationship.”

“I don’t need a lecture,” I groaned, closing my eyes. “I just need… a friend.”

“You have one.” He patted my leg before withdrawing his hand. “I don’t want you falling back into old habits like you did after your divorce.”