The Art of Falling in Love

Chapter Twenty Two

❝But I always liked the thought of maybe being a runaway. I could be your lover and you could be my heartache, I could sing the songs that we used to sing when we were kids.❞ -eden, catch me if you can

"What the fuck?" Noah exclaims.

Harley and Josh pull apart from each other, clearly shocked as they stare at the both of us.

"Well," I chuckle nervously. "This isn't the bathroom."

"This isn't what it looks like," Josh says to me. "Just listen to me, please."

"Really, Josh?" I scoff, not wanting to hear his pointless excuses. "Harley Jackson? Again?"

"What the fuck do you mean again?" Noah asks, clearly pissed off.

"It was a mistake the first time and it's a mistake this time," I'll hand it to Josh, he's a good actor. I almost feel as though he's being genuine. "You're the only girl for me. Harley means nothing to me."

Harley gasps. "The 'first time'? Diana's Joshua Williams's only ex-girlfriend?"

"You're the girl Joshua cheated with?" Noah's voice is shaking with anger. "You're the home wrecker?"

"I didn't know it at the time!" Harley snaps. "I found out a week later he had a girlfriend."

I told myself I wouldn't let myself get hurt again. So why is my mind a mess and my heart aching? I should be the one who chooses who can break my heart, yet here I am, Josh having trampled it once more. Deep down, I knew it would never work with Josh again, but I still couldn't help the subtle longing that festered like a plague at the back of my mind.

"All this talk about being in love with me yet you don't have a problem hooking up with Harley," I roll my eyes. It is such a typical Josh move. "You had to hook up with my friend's sister, right? You just needed to make the situation as fucked up as possible."

"You were the one getting all cozy with Jackson on the couch," Josh accuses and my jaw drops in disbelief. "You can't blame me for hooking up with someone when she's practically throwing herself at me."

"Hey!" Noah snaps. "Don't talk about my sister that way."

"I threw myself at you?" Harley laughs humourlessly. "You were the one getting jealous because of Noah and Diana! You wanted something to throw in their faces, didn't you?"

I don't know why, but it stings to see Harley and Josh together. It might be because I get to see it in real life now; the reason why my heart first got broken. Is it possible that I still have lingering feelings for Josh?

"Not that it's any of your business, but Noah and I haven't done anything," I glare at Josh, anger boiling through my blood. "Earlier this week, I was asking myself if we could have a future together. I have my answer now."

"You were always the one to give up on us," Josh's voice is awfully calm. "You never liked the idea of us being long term. You talked about breaking up before university. You had all these boys constantly fighting for your attention; I wasn't the only reason our relationship fell apart."

The Jackson siblings fall silent at this point, watching Josh and my argument. Even though I don't believe his words, Josh has a way of making people doubt themselves. Unfortunately, I'm not immune to his unique charm.

"I know," I agree, exhaling. "I was always thinking about the future. Maybe I wasn't in the present with our relationship, but that doesn't mean you can blame me for what you did."