Page 43 of Scrap Metal & Love Reforged

Stupid question. Only one thing I’d done could’ve made him this angry with me, and it was the same thing I’d agonized over for weeks. There wasn’t any point in me trying to claim my innocence, but some part of me still desperately wanted to cling to the farce that I had no idea what I’d done wrong, to the hope Troy was bothered by something else. Maybe my own paranoia was just making me read too much into the situation.

He climbed to his feet and crossed his arms. “Youknowwhat!” Troy snapped.

Was there any point in continuing to play dumb? I glanced around the living room and the dining room counter. My laptop had been moved; I saw that now. “You were on my computer?”

Troy’s jaw clenched. “Don’t try to distract me. I had more of a reason to be in your laptop than you did for lying. My phone was dead, so I thought I’d borrow your laptop. You never said I couldn’t, but you know what? That was really stupid of you if you were going to try and cover something up.”

“I didn’twantto hide it from you,” I said.

But I felt the dread of all this descend on my shoulders as if it was a physical weight. No excuse I offered would be enough. Anything I said would show I was a coward and hadn’t trusted Troy. It would show I’d kept this charade going much longer than anydecentperson would have.

“I’m sorry,” I said eventually. “I just—”

“How long have you known we were friends online?” Troy cut in.

“A while,” I admitted, “But we weren’t friends, then. Not in real life. And I thought that if you knew, you’d feel betrayed. So, I didn’t tell you.”

Color rose in Troy’s face, and his eyes glittered. I didn’t think he’d clobber me or anything, but I’d never seen him so pissed. How was I supposed to react to this? Usually, people weren’t reallymadat me. Sure, sometimes they were irritated. I’d probably taken five years off Brandon’s life with my constant annoyances, but it had never been anything like this.

“I feel betrayed now!” Troy retorted.

“I know,” I replied, trying to sound appeasing, “But Iwasgoing to tell you.”

“When? After we’d been living together for months and you decided you’d had your fun for long enough?”

Troy ran his hands roughly through his hair and paced in front of the sofa, his steps disproportionately loud. I remained quietand watched him cross the floor, back and forth, like you’d see a lion in a too small cage.

“Well?” Troy asked, his attention snapping to me once more.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I was waiting for the right time, but the longer I held off, the harder it all seemed to do. I just felt like there was never going to be a good time.”

Troy shook his head. “I told youeverything,” he hissed. “Things I never told anyone else, and then you had to go and pull some stupid crap like this? Don’t you get it? I trusted you!”

He looked at me with such intensity that I felt as if he might actually look through me and down into my very soul, and I doubted he would like what he found. I froze like a deer stuck in headlights.

“I—I know you did. I didn’t…and that was part of what made it so hard. I didn’t want to break that trust or hurt you. And I didn’t think you’d ever trust me if you knew,” I said.

“You’re right. Idon’ttrust you,” Troy said. “I’m going to pack my things, and I’m going to leave…now! And I’d prefer that you either stay away or at least shut up while I’m doing it.”

“Where will you go?”

“None of your damn business, Seth. Or should I call you Godofdiscord?”

His words cut like a knife, but I deserved every slice. I couldn't blame him for refusing to share anything with me now. “Do you want me to give you some money? For a hotel or something? Since you can’t—”

Troy barked out a sudden, bitter laugh. “You can’t fix all your problems with money. I can’t believe you think that would fix anything!!”

I nodded and swiped my keys off the counter. “I’ll see you around?” I offered.

“I hope not.” He disappeared into the guestroom, and I let out my breath in a loud huff. This unfolded exactly as I'd feared. It might have hurt less if every bit of it weren't my fault.

I headed out and climbed into the elevator, and as the doors closed, it felt like the end of something wonderful.

Chapter Seventeen

Troy

Skye twisted our grandmother’s wedding ring around her finger. She and Jess lived in a decent sized apartment, much better than any I’d ever stayed in. It was spotless, except for a few of Jess’s toys in her room and a pile of stuffed animals claiming the living room sofa.