Half A Heart {Trilogy in the Guskenna Series)

5

Rocky

My uncle's phone continues to ring and I can't help but watch the door between me and Mack. She was quiet in her room, listening to the crap that Gus was dishing out towards her. I could read and see through it all, but I knew she wouldn't listen. Finally, just as I was losing hope, the phone line is picked up.

"Hey, you said it was important. What's-"

"Gus just texted me and said that he wasn't coming to practice because he has something to deal with. He didn't specify why he wasn't coming, but he's just not showing up." My Uncle Shor sighed, pausing for a moment. I could hear the sniffling coming from Makenna's room. "I texted Hayden, Gus' roommate. . . Rocky, I think there's something that Gus is hiding from everyone. Hayden said he left for classes before Gus got up. He had heard somethings last night and he wasn't sure if it was true. Jesus, you can't come down here or tell Makenna. . . He slept with Kyla last night." 

The anger that had started to rise in me was starting to boil. I could hear Makenna fully crying and I watch the text ring in on my watch of them taking a "break". Haleigh was rushing into the room, hushing her hysterical cousin. 

"Rocky, don't get involved with this. I'm going to ask-"

"Shor, I'll deal with it. It's going to be my way. I have spies on campus and I will find out things. I can't promise that I won't do anything. Your son is a dick and I think he needs to learn a lesson or two from that." 

Shor sighs, "Goodbye Rocky. Don't do anything stupid." 

**Thanksgiving** 

M

It had been a little over two months since my breakup with Gus. My parents were on their Thanksgiving cruise and vacation, so I was stuck having dinner with the Lynches. I'm not sure how I was able to do it, but I convinced Rocky to stay with me for a couple weeks after the breakup. Having him around, despite the kiss happening, it was good to have someone to hold me on the darkest nights; the nights where I couldn't see the next morning. Rocky was my sunshine on my darkest day. It wasn't until the week before Thanksgiving break, I got a text from Gus and he asked me about our "break". I simply told him that I would have an answer by Thanksgiving. I still hadn't come up with one. 

"Mack, you wanna grab the rolls from the oven? Everyone is on their way." Savannah asks me as she struggles to juggle Remus and the bowl of mashed potatoes in her hand. 

"Hand one of them over, V." Rocky's voice made me stand up, burning my arm on the top of the oven as I pull out the buns. I hardly notice the sting and I watch Remus reach for his Uncle Rocky. He babbles to Remus softly, smiling at me. 

The backdoor opens and I hear the laughing of the De St Jeors. My heart starts to race, as I know that I'm going face Gus in person. I didn't have an answer, I'm not sure what all he's expecting. Savannah smiles at me, reassuringly. She had been dealing with my breakdowns while Ross and Rocky were still up in Vancouver doing things for "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina". I quickly set the rolls on a plate before taking them out to the dining room. Stormie is greeting her nephews when I notice a blonde girl with Gus. She's quiet and she's leaning on him softly and I can't feel anything. It starts in my upper body and it starts to travel down, I'm becoming numb. Without watching, I turn away and brush past Jaz. She looks at me with a confused look and I don't dare to meet her eyes. He brought someone else. He found someone else. 

"Guys, I'll be back in a second." Rocky starts and I can hear someone stop him. "If you're sure you can handle it, go ahead. I'll be right here if either of you need me." 

I sit down by the pool, letting my feet hang over and rest in the water. He had already moved on. There was no way we were going to rekindle anything at this point. I'm so caught up in my thoughts that I don't hear the door open and then softly shut. I don't come out of my thoughts until Gordy sits down on the poolside next to me and wraps an arm around my shoulder.