I looked up at him, my eyes narrowed. “When you what?”

He clenched his teeth. “It was after you told me we were just fucking and fighting. I went to a local country bar to meet my brother.”

“So?”

“So,” he sighed. “A girl showed up. I didn’t know she knew Taylor.”

“I understand. You don’t have to tell me.”

“I didn’t go home with her or anything; I just kissed her. I intended to, though. She was nice to me. I didn’t have to try so fucking hard just to feel rejected.”

I swallowed, angry at how hurt I felt. “It’s fine. She sounds great.”

“She wasn’t you,” he said.

I wiped my cheek. “I bet she wasn’t fucked up.”

“We’re all a little fucked up. Not all of us use it to push everyone away.”

I lifted my chin. “So you decided you were in love with me after you tried to take someone home. Indicative of our dysfunction, don’t you think?”

“Ellie …”

I closed my eyes. “I never meant for us to get in this deep. I never meant for this to mean anything more. Let me leave. One of us has to.”

He dropped his hands from my shoulders, exhaling like the wind had been knocked out of him. “Where?”

“Jojo’s.”

He nodded toward the door. “Go.”

I bent down to get one last shirt, and then rushed to the laundry room at the end of the hall and grabbed some folded clothes. My backpack was full, so I began filling a small plastic laundry basket.

I reached for the door, but his hand was on mine. I breathed out a cry, knowing if he said one more word, I would stay.

He touched his cheek to mine, then kissed my temple. “Let me drive you.”

I shook my head.

He let go of the knob, waiting for me to look up at him. When I did, his expression crushed me. “You’re still my friend. Let me drive you.”

I nodded, watching him fetch his keys. He led me to his truck, and then I directed him to the magazine. We didn’t speak. Tyler gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turned white.

When I pointed to the back lot, he frowned. “Why did you tell me to come here, Ellie? Jojo doesn’t live here.”

“There’s an apartment above. I have a key,” I said, pulling Tyler’s off my key ring.

He took it, glowering at the metal in his palm. He closed his eyes. “Ellie, I still want you to come to Illinois with me next month.”

I laughed once. “I can’t meet your family, Tyler. Are you insane?”

“I already told Dad you were coming.”

I frowned.

“Please?”

“We can’t just be friends now. Not when I love yous have been thrown around. We can’t go back. You’ve ruined it.”

“You’ve ruined me.”