Running From You

Chapter 42

NORA

It takes me the whole walk home to stop fuming. I can't believe I actually liked Caleb, much less dated him. I'd hoped he had a reason other than plain old jealousy to have done what he did, but of course not. I don't think any reason would've make it okay, though, so I guess I was fighting a loosing battle no matter what.

I reach our house and stop on the porch. I don't want to go in just yet. And I have to call Tyler. Can as well do that out here, I decide and I sit down on the steps. I look at his name on my phone for a long minute before pressing call, already dreading the conversation.

He picks up on the second ring. "He gone?"

"Well hello to you, too," I say dryly.

I can almost hear him rolling his eyes. "Is he gone?"

"Yes," I breathe out through my teeth. "I'm home."

"Did you talk to him?"

"Yes, I did. He admitted to hiding my phone back then, and texting from it as me."

Tyler curses. "Did he have a reason? Other than being a complete dick, that is."

I frown. "Not a good one."

"Surprise surprise," I can hear the loathing in his voice. "So, what happened? Did you forgive him and everything's all good between you two again?"

I count to three before answering. "No. He didn't even apologize, so it's not like I could've forgiven him. He acted like a jerk, actually. Never seen that side of him before."

"I have."

"I believe you."

We're both quiet for a while.

"I didn't deserve you acting like douche tonight," I say to the silence. "I've done nothing to warrant your mistrust and yet you still  thought I'd invited him to the show tonight."

He doesn't respond immediately and I continue. "Even when I told you so, you still didn't believe me. I didn't want Caleb there any more you did, and his appearance was a shock to me. You should've known that, especially after these last months. Did you really think I'd invite him to watch my most personal, raw performance to date? You knew it was hard for me to go up there and do that in front of all those people. Yet you thought I called Caleb and asked him there?"

"I'm sorry," he sounds like he means it. "I was just so mad at seeing him there by your side and, I don't know, I guess I just went right back four years and saw red. I wanted to hit him in the face so fucking bad and there he was smiling like nothing was wrong. And you didn't seem to mind."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath before exhaling.  "We've been skirting around each other for weeks because you were hurt I didn't trust you completely," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "Even though I had no reason to. You went behind my back and I forgave you and tried my best to trust you. But trust doesn't come easy for me. I've been let down by almost every single person in my life, yet I've been trying."

"I know," his quiet voice comes from the other end.

I grip the phone tighter. "And yet, despite all that, you chose not to trust me tonight, even though I've done nothing to earn your mistrust. And that makes you a hypocrite." I'm so mad at him.

"I know," he says again. "You're right. I am a hypocrite. I just... I don't know, he makes me so angry I can't think straight. I shouldn't have taken in out on you, and I really am sorry. I do trust you."