My Player Bestfriend (Book #1)

Chapter Ten

The first text came in two days after I'd deleted everything.

I didn't respond.

Austin Mahone: "Mary, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Let me explain everything. Please."

I stared at it for a while, the words just floating on the screen, trying to anchor themselves in some piece of me that could still care. I wanted to. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that the boy who'd looked at me like I was everything wasn't capable of this.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized something: he had done it.

I wasn't the one who needed to hear the explanation.

He was the one who needed to explain himself.

So, I didn't respond.

The next day, there was another one.

Austin Mahone: "I messed up. Please, just hear me out. Can we talk when I get home?"

I didn't even open it.

I kept busy.

Distracted.

I took walks. I started picking up old hobbies again, ones that Austin and I hadn't talked about. Things I'd shelved while I was so wrapped up in him.

I called Sarah and Jackie to vent, but when I spoke, I sounded like someone else. Someone stronger.

The worst part was the silence.

The way my phone sat on the counter, buzzing every hour with a text from him. The way I felt like I was sinking deeper into the quiet, and it felt so much safer than hearing his voice. Because if I heard it, I might break down. I might want him back.

And I didn't want that.

Not anymore.

Five days passed.

The texts kept coming, and I kept ignoring.

But then... something changed.

The doorbell rang.

I wasn't expecting anyone, and it was too early for my delivery from the online store.

I walked to the door, half-expecting to see another group of random strangers or a neighbor with a package. But when I opened it, I froze.

It was a man I didn't recognize.

"Uh... are you Mary?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's me," I said, cautious.

"I'm Luke. I'm a friend of Sarah's. She said you were here." He looked over his shoulder, then back at me. "You doing okay?"

I just stared at him, still unsure what to say.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

I nodded without thinking.

I led him into the living room and sat on the couch, unsure of what to make of this random guy who was apparently now in my life.

"You look like you've been through a lot," Luke said softly, sitting next to me.

I glanced at him. He wasn't overly attractive, but there was something about his presence that felt calming. His dark hair was messily styled, and he had this laid-back vibe. His smile wasn't too forced.

"I guess you could say that," I said. "I've had a rough week."

"Yeah, Sarah mentioned something about it. I heard through the grapevine. Don't worry, I'm not here to interrogate you," he said with a chuckle. "I'm just here to hang out for a bit."

I smiled at the way he said it so casually. "Thanks, I guess. It's just... I don't even know what to do anymore."

"Maybe not try to figure it all out right now?" Luke offered. "Life can get pretty crazy, but sometimes it's best to just take it day by day."

I nodded, my heart heavy but a little lighter from his words. "It's just hard. I'm tired of feeling like the world's against me."

He leaned back on the couch, stretching out his legs. "I get it. You've been through a lot with Austin, huh?"

"Yeah," I said, sighing. "Turns out, I didn't really know him as well as I thought."

"I don't know the full story, but I do know one thing for sure," Luke said, his voice serious now. "You deserve someone who's gonna appreciate you, not break you."

I stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to say. Maybe he was right.

Another week passed.

I still hadn't heard from Austin. Not directly.

He didn't send any more texts, didn't try to call.

I don't know if I was waiting for him to show up at my door or waiting for the moment to come where I could finally move on. But either way, I couldn't shake the feeling that everything had changed. The foundation had cracked. And no matter how much I wanted to believe in him, I couldn't unsee what I'd seen.

So I let Luke in more. We hung out more often, grabbed coffee at the corner café, and spent hours talking about things that had nothing to do with Austin, things that felt normal again.

I wasn't in love with Luke. But he made me feel safe. He reminded me what it felt like to laugh without any strings attached.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, I didn't feel like I was waiting for someone else to tell me what to do.

Then came the text.

Austin.

Austin Mahone: "Mary, I know you're mad. But I'm sorry. I messed up, and I'm paying for it. Please let me fix it. Please give me a chance."

I stared at the screen.

I wanted to throw my phone. I wanted to block him again. I wanted to scream.

But there was something that had shifted inside me. I wasn't the girl who would let someone hurt her anymore.

And for the first time, I didn't respond.

Not because I was cold.

But because I had a feeling he wasn't going to be the one to fix things.

The next time I saw Luke, it was at the café again. But this time, there was something different in the air. Something unspoken, like we both knew this was more than just two people passing time.

He smiled at me when I sat down.

"How's it going?" he asked, his eyes meeting mine.

"I'm good," I said, a little unsure but feeling more like myself than I had in a while. "Better than I've been in a while."

He leaned forward a little, his tone quieter. "I'm glad to hear that, Mary. You deserve a good life. And if you want, I'm here. Always."

I wasn't sure what was happening yet. But for the first time in weeks, I felt like maybe — just maybe — I didn't have to keep waiting for someone who wasn't coming.