The Jacket Snatcher

Chapter 56- I Can't Forget

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The sound of my full name coming from Luke's voice draws me out of my Cody-filled haze. I break away from him and look up to find Luke staring at me, and the expression on his face punches me in the gut.

I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out.

"Leave." Luke says, staring past me, obviously talking to Cody.

"I'm not sure you have a right to say that to me, bro. She said you guys were done."

"You said that?" His devastated eyes look straight at me.

"I did—but well—I said that we were broken up—" I grab my head, trying to keep the hallway from spinning.

"Are you drunk?!"

Luke doesn't wait for an answer, but turns to face Cody with an expression of pure hatred. Cody backs away from me with his hands raised, clearly a little bit intimidated by the angry Australian walking towards him.

"Look, man, she said you were done, but clearly you're not. No girl is worth this kind of tabloid drama." He starts to walk away. "You two have a nice life." He continues backing up until he's far enough away from Luke. Only then does he turn his back to us and retreat.

We stand there in silence for a while, long after Cody's footsteps disappear.

"Such a dick." Luke finally speaks. "Where are your keys?"

I pick up my purse from where it had dropped to the floor during...well, when Cody kissed me. After digging for a moment, I produce the keys. He snatches them from my hand and unlocks the door. He opens it and waits for me to pass through first. I start forward, but for some reason I feel the need to be very careful as I go past him, like if I happen to brush up against him he will blow up like an old, buried landmine.

"You told him we were through?" His question is tense and angry.

"Well, you're the one who ended it..." I shoot back.

"When did I end it?"

"You said we shouldn't be together! You practically shouted it at me two days ago!" My mind might be a little fuzzy right now, but that moment is perfectly clear.

His jaw tightens in realization. "I said that if you really thought that I was just using you, we shouldn't be together. I never said that we were broken up."

"But it's the same—"

"Besides," he cuts me off, "it only took two days for your tongue to find its way into some other dude's mouth?! What? Have you had him on standby since Sydney?" His eyes are wide, and the tension in his arms gives me a clue as to just how mad he is. I should feel some remorse, but to be honest, the intensity of his anger only pours gasoline onto the fire of mine.

"You don't get to judge how I choose to move on. You broke up with me! You kissed Brianna first and then went out with her again tonight!"

"That's not the same thing!" he says, but I keep going.

"And no, I haven't had him on standby. It was just fate that he happened to be here this weekend and called me up." I cross my arms and lean back against the furthest wall from where Luke stands.

He shakes his head and lets his arms fall. "Fate. I used to think it was something like fate that we met that day in the airport." He scoffs, his voice turning sour. "Now, it seems more like bad karma."

I am silenced by his words. Does he mean that? Does he really regret everything?

He stares at me as I stand there mute and pushes a hand through his hair.