For Better or For Worse (Book 2)

Double Trouble

Pay the point of no return. No more backward glances. 
—Phantom of the Opera

My heart stops in that moment, my breath catching in my throat. I whirl around to face him, his blonde hair sticking to his forehead with perspiration.

"What?" I ask, getting off the bed to face him.

Tyler doesn't move from the doorway, his shoulders slumped forward. "Haven't you noticed, Skylar?" He asks, his eyes darting around the room, but never landing on me. His eyes lock on Tyler's face and his expression changes to sadness, though for what reason I don't know.

Tyler shakes his head, as if clearing his thoughts. "That's why I've been trying to avoid you, lately. Why I've been acting so weird around you. I can't stand to be near you because of how much pain it causes me and how much I lose control. I don't trust myself to be around you anymore, because I know what I want." At this, a huff of air comes from Shawn, standing right at my shoulder. "But I can't have that," Tyler continues, "because I'm in love with you, and you're in love with Shawn."

For a moment, I just stand there and try to process what he's confessing. Why hasn't I realized this before? All those times he tried to get away from me quickly, we were alone.

He's in love with me. Tyler's in love with me.

"I—" I can't seem to find the right words, and I say that, too. "I don't know what to say."

Shawn steps forward, running a hand through his hair. "That's why we had the huge fight the other day. When you disappeared in the Haunted House, Tyler went crazy with worry and that's when I realized that he wasn't just your friend. I talked to him about it and he..." His gaze moved to match Tyler's. "And he told me the truth."

I shake my head, confused. "So..." So I was right, they were fighting over me. Or about me.

Whatever, I had caused it.

"I'm sorry." I say, fidgeting with my shirt. It's hard to believe that Tyler's been in love with me this whole time, having to watch me fall head over heels in love with Shawn.

I know how hard that must have been for Tyler, and I find myself empathizing with him. It's a tough thing to go through, especially when they're your two best friends.

And that's why Tyler and Shawn have been so pissed with each other lately—they both want me, but Shawn has me and Tyler has to sit back in the shadows and watch.

Zoning back in on the moment, I watch Tyler and Shawn stare at each other for a second before speaking.

"You know, you should've just told me." Shawn says, sounding board a little annoyed.

Tyler scoffs. "Oh, yeah, telling my best friend that I was in love with his girlfriend was the first idea that popped into my head."

Shawn's eyebrows furrow. "Wait...you liked her even before the whole thing with Haley?"

Tyler looks down, his cheeks flushing deep red. "Yes." And then he manages to catch Shawn's eye. "All that time I had to watch her mentally and physically distraught over you. That's why it was so hard for me to forgive you, Shawn. You had seriously hurt the one girl I truly cared about and that wasn't okay with me. I pretty much hated you for a VERY long time after you did that to her. I couldn't deal with it any better than Skylar could."

Shawn seems embarrassed, his hands twiddling with his shirt hem. "I can't believe I didn't notice." And then he looks up. "I can't believe this. You're my best friend, man, how could you do this to me?"

Tyler looks utterly surprised at that. "What?"

"How could you?"

Tyler's mouth hands open. "How could I? You're kidding me, right? You can't control who you fall in love with, Shawn. It wasn't my choice for it to be your girlfriend, it just worked out that way. Look at her! She's beautiful, and sassy, and wicked smart. I couldn't help myself!"

"But she was my girlfriend! And you, what, just happened to like her at the same time? You just wanted her because she was mine!"

Tyler starts to object but Shawn continues before he can get a word out. "She's literally the only thing I have, Tyler." Tyler flinches at his full name coming from Shawn. "Besides my eight year old sister, I don't have anything else! Sky keeps me sane and I am NOT losing her."

"Well don't you share well!" Tyler shouts.

"Share?" Shawn asks, baffled. "I don't have to share her! Girls aren't items, Ty. They're not shared!"

Tyler shakes his head, waving a hand dismissively. "I know that! Obviously you don't considering you shared Skylar and Hayley at the same time!"

"Guys! This isn't going to work."

Tyler and Shawn both look directly at me instantly, their faces both showing confusion.

"What?" They say in unison.

I shake my head repeatedly, not even sure what I'm going to say myself. "I don't want things to be this way."

"What?" They both repeat.

"I don't want you fighting over me. I don't want to be the cause of the destruction of your relationship. So, if you two can't get along—"

They glare at each other as if to prove my point.

I sigh, the words forming in my brain. Oh god, I don't want to say this. But I know I have to, it's the only solution I can think of. I have to preserve their friendship, it's too important. They love each other and I don't want to come in the middle of that.

Ever.

My face breaks into a deep frown, my cheeks turning bright red in my saddened state. I feel my heart hammering against my ribcage and my throat seems to close up as if to block the words from coming out.

My voice chokes as I manage the most dreadful sentence I've ever said.

"—then I'm sorry but I'm going to have to choose neither of you."