Page 47 of While You Were Trending

“You got a shit hand. No arguments. You deserve peace. Not—not all of this.”

“Stop placating me.”

I take another step back, hands held up. “Sorry.”

She snorts and glares. “Thisnice Declanthing won’t work on me.”

“Do you want me to be mean?”

“Yes.”

“That raincoat looks like shit on you.”

“Thank you.”

“You couldn’t score a goal if your mommy held the stick for you.”

Her nostrils flare. “Go on. What else do you have?”

I swallow hard, hating myself. “You were all wrong for him.”

She blinks rapidly, her chest heaving. “I know.”

It’s another beautiful day.

Fluffy white clouds. Blue sky. Green grapevines.

And watching Ginny bare her soul with those two little words makes it all dark and dreary and wrong.

“Ginny—”

“I know, okay? I always knew. I’m a fucked-up former child reality star who doesn’t deserve good things.”

I would go to the edges of the universe to find the right words to convince her that all of the lessons her mother gave her in her most emotionally vulnerable years were wrong.

“You didn’t do that to yourself.” My voice is hoarse, and I know she won’t listen to me. I gave up any chance at having her believe me the day I decided to push her away instead of finding a way to like her and be nice to her. But I still have to try. “The people who should’ve protected you failed you.”

“Shut up,” she whispers.

“If it makes you feel better to fight, we’ll fight. But it’s not your fault your mother put you on that show. She was the adult. She should’ve known better.”

Tears spill onto her cheeks. “I hate you.”

I nod. “You should. I was a dick.”

“Stop saying the right things.”

“You deserved better than the way I treated you.”

“I said shut up.” She swipes at her cheeks, and this time, when she turns and sprints, I don’t follow.

I want to.

I want to so badly that my legs cramp with the effort that it takes to hold still.

My breathing is rough and uneven.

My eyes are wet too.