Falling Apart, Together✓

Chapter Five

The next morning I wake up on Archer's couch. I can tell that my face is puffed up from crying for most of the night and I already have a headache from all the crying I did the night before. Tears start forming in the corner of my eyes as I think about what happened last night.

I quickly wipe away my tears as Archer comes in with a coffee mug. He sits down next to me, handing me the mug. "Do you wanna talk about it?" he asks.

"Did you know?"

"Did I know what?"

"Don't play dumb with me Archer. He's been sleeping with Laurel James. Did you know?" He doesn't answer and refuses to look me in the eyes. Great, just fucking great. "Why wouldn't you tell me?"

"I did! I told you not to go out with him."

"You didn't say it was because he was whoring around with a girl who used to torment me because I got him and she didn't. You knew how insecure that made me. So thanks oh wonderful big brother for the fucking heads up." I place the mug down on the coffee table and grab mom's keys, heading for the door. "I would suggest not coming around mom and dad's for a few days. I can't even look at you right now. You really fucked up this time Archer."

The drive back to my parents' is good for me. It gives me a chance to clear my head and get my crying under control. They're both so worked up about dad, I don't want to cause them anymore pain. I pull onto our street and as I'm approaching the house, I see the Beemer parked out front. As I get closer I see Ransom on the front stoop.

I get out of the car, locking the doors as I walk up to the front porch. "Have you been here all night?" I ask, taking in his current state. His slacks are wrinkled, his hair sticking up in all directions like he had been running his hands through it all night.

"Yup."

"Why are you here Ransom? I thought I made it pretty clear last night that I didn't want to see you for a long time."

"I fucked up. I know that but I swear after it happened, all I wanted to do was take it back."

"Why did it have to be her?"

"What?"

"Out of every woman in Boston you could've fucked, why did it have to be her? You knew how she treated me. Why her?"

"This is going to make me sound like a huge ass."

"You're already a gigantic ass, there's not too much more that you can do to make it worse at this point so try me."

"She was available and willing."

"Of course she was! She's a giant slut! She always has been..."

"I know..."

"You say you know and yet, you did it anyway."

"Bentley, it was stupid..."

"No Ransom, I was stupid for thinking you actually wanted to make up and make it work between us."

"I do though."

"Clearly you don't. Because if you did, you wouldn't have slept with anyone while I was in the hospital with my dying father. But most importantly, even if you did, it wouldn't have been with Laurel fucking James."

"Bentley please..." he tried to beg.

"No Ransom! I can't do this right now! I'm tired of allowing you in and you hurting me. I need you to leave. I came back for my dad. He's where my focus needs to be from now on. I don't have a lot of time left with him." He looks at me again, his blue eyes brimming with tears and it takes everything in me to walk to the door and let myself inside. I'm leaning against the door, willing myself not to breakdown as I hear the Beemer roar to life and pull out of the driveway.

I wipe the tears away, determined to not let my parents see me like this. I hear someone clear their throat and I jump. Too late for that.

"So I take it you heard everything?" I ask.

"Just little bits." my mom answers.

"Little bits?"

"Just the small parts."

"So basically everything?"

"Basically, yes."

"Do you want to talk about it?" my dad asks.

"Not really. If you heard everything, there's no put in repeating it."

"I swear you're both idiots."

"How am I an idiot here dad? He sleeps with my former friend who made my life hell when him and I started dating in high school and somehow I'm also to blame?"

"And he apologized. I'm not saying that makes up for it but do you know how many times in that boy's life I've hear him apologize? I can count all the times on one hand and they've always been to you."

"That just means he's a bigger ass to me than he is to anyone else."

"No, that means that he actually cares enough about you, even still, to want to say sorry.
Sometimes people are put back in your life for a reason. Neither one of you are happy apart. He's been miserable for thirteen years and I know you have been too."

"I can't trust him not to hurt me again."

"Eventually you will. When the time is right, when the hurt is not as raw, you'll be able to forgive and move on." he says, placing a kiss on my forehead.

"I don't think that's in the cards for me right now Dad."

"Well you should figure it out quickly. Life's too short to hold onto such anger. In the end, the only one you end up hurting is yourself."