The Truce

Chapter 15

I didn't want questions or fake sympathy or more comments about my looks. I just wanted out of that house. Keeping my head down so I wouldn't have to make eye contact with anyone, I pushed my way back down the stairs and out the front door.

I was crying before I made it to the sidewalk. A few people outside commented, but I hardly heard them. My only goal was getting home as quickly as possible. When I could stop crying enough to see the screen of my phone, I would text Natalie and let her know where I was.

About half a block away, a hand touched my shoulder from behind.

"I'll give you a ride," Sebastian said, apparently fully aware of what had happened.

Shrugging off his hand, I walked faster. "I'm fine." I was angry and hurt, and in no mood to hear him say I told you so.

"You're not fine," he said from beside me, having no trouble keeping up. Curse his long legs.

I uselessly tried to outpace him, but he, annoyingly, stayed right next to me. "Leave me alone!" I yelled and swiped at the moisture on my face.

"No."

"Go away!" I stopped and glared at him through the tears.

"If you think I'm letting you walk home alone, right now, you're out of your mind. It's at least five miles. You'll freeze in that dress and probably break an ankle in those shoes. Forget everything else that could happen to you!"

Crossing my arms, I sharply turned my back to him. He was right. I couldn't walk all the way home. I wasn't even sure exactly where I was.

Looking at the darkened street, my mind replayed everything that happened and I cried harder, feeling like a complete idiot.

Sebastian appeared in front of me and started to pull me into his arms. I tried to shove him away like I did with that drunk guy earlier, but Sebastian was not drunk. And he was about double my size so it was like trying to push a tree. I only succeeded in knocking myself off balance a little. He steadied me and tried again.

I swung at him, smacking him somewhere on his body. I wasn't sure where, but I swung again and again. It wasn't making me feel any better. I started sobbing and offered no resistance when Sebastian tried again. He hugged me and I leaned into him, burying my face in his chest and just allowed myself to cry.

As we stood there together, I was a little surprised that Sebastian didn't even try to talk about anything. He could call Scott every name in the book and remind me that he'd known he was a jerk, all along. I wouldn't even want to disagree. But he didn't. He just let me soak his shirt as he soothingly rubbed my back.

"I'm so stupid," I mumbled when I had mostly regained control of myself.

"No, you're not."

"You can't trust guys," I said. "I already knew that." It wasn't the same situation as what happened with Sebastian, but it was strangely similar. Someone I trusted stabbed me in the back for the sake of someone I couldn't stand. I should have seen something like this coming. In hindsight, it wasn't even that shocking.

Sebastian heaved a loud sigh. "I'm sorry. It's my fault you feel that way, but it's not always true."

"Yes, it is. It doesn't matter who they are or how close you are, eventually, they hurt you."

"Caring about people gives them the power to hurt you," he said. "But that doesn't mean you should close yourself off to people."

"I haven't closed myself off," I argued.

"Haven't you?"

I pulled away to get some space. "No."

"How many close friends do you have?"