Page 185

“You really want me to let you go?”

The answer should be easy.

Yes.

One word. One lie.

But I can’t seem to get it past my lips.

“You can’t say it, can you?” He reaches for me, but I take a step back.

“Don’t.”

My heart pounds against my ribs.

“I tried, Max,” he says, dragging his hand over his face. “For a whole fucking year, I tried. But I don’t think I can do it anymore.”

“Milo—”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to let you go.” He takes a step closer. “A part of me will always belong to you.”

My eyes sting, and God help me, some broken part of my heart practically rejoices at hearing those words.

“No.” He shakes his head. “That’s not right. It’s not just a part of me. It’s all of me, Max. I will always belong to you. I wish you could see that.”

I force myself to hold his stare. Force my voice not to shake. Force the words out before the girl I used to be can claw her way back to the surface.

“Then that’s on you.”

And before I lose what little resolve I have left and give in to the yearning in his eyes, I turn and walk away as fast as my lead feet can carry me.

“Max, wait!”

I pretend not to hear him, making a beeline for the stairs, desperate to get off this stupid roof and away from the boy who can still break my heart with nothing more than a few words and those heartbreakingly sad eyes of his.

Of course, Milo doesn’t take the hint.

“Max!”

“Go away, Milo.”

“Where are you going?”

“Home.”

He catches up with me just as I reach the bottom of the stairs, falling into step beside me.

“I can take you.”

“No, thank you.”

I keep walking, determined to put as much distance between us as possible. Except I barely make it halfway across the yard before remembering one very inconvenient detail.

Jalen brought me here.

And unless I want to interrupt whatever he’s currently doing with Mikayla, I doubt he’ll be giving me a ride anytime soon. Sienna won’t be much help either, considering the last time I saw her, she was laser-focused on Craig.

Wonderful.