Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Landon

Listen to Breathe 2am

by Anna Nalik

I held back a sigh and stared at Max. I knew why he was here. It was his last-ditch effort to make me doubt Adam, but we’d already gone past the edge of no return. Nothing Max could say would change my mind. A flash of pity raced through me. This was a man I’d once loved and dreamed of marrying. How had so much transpired in one summer? I was now a different person, on a new path I’d never imagined. But without Max, I would’ve never found Adam.

I owed him a conversation.

“You didn’t have to hit him,” I said softly.

His jaw clenched. “Yeah, I did. He crossed the line.”

“Then you should be just as mad at me. I was the one in a relationship with you.”

Sadness gleamed in his blue eyes. “No, Landon. I can’t blame you because you were played. No one knows Adam the way I do. You never had a chance.”

Temper slapped back and my gaze turned cold. “You’re not coming up. I don’t trust you in my apartment. Say what you want right here.”

He ran his fingers through his hair, rubbing his scalp in obvious upset. “How did this happen to us? Did I make you so unhappy you’d run to him for revenge? What is he giving you that I don’t? Is it the sex?”

I refused to blush or answer the direct question. “It doesn’t matter anymore, Max. That’s what I keep trying to tell you. I’ve been fighting my feelings for Adam for a long time. I never wanted to hurt you, but I’m almost glad for that video. It helped me see the truth and things would’ve been much worse if we ignored the warning signs. It’s no one’s fault—it just happened. All I want is not to lose the entire group over this. We were hoping with enough time and space we could get past it.” A desperate plea leaked into my voice. “We wouldn’t have been happy together. I know once you meet the right person, you’ll see that, too.”

“I see you’ve already decided, which means you won’t believe me. I can only tell you the truth of what you’re getting into. I cheated on you, and broke your heart. Adam is also a cheater, but it will be so much worse for you, Landon. He may love you, but he’s too fucked up to stay in a long-term relationship. He confessed that to me over and over—that even when he tries, the demons come and get him and he needs to tear it apart before it becomes too important. He won’t have a choice except to hurt you.”

I swore I wouldn’t listen, but his words held a terrible doubt that locked inside my chest. Adam had spoken about his father many times; how his brokenness loved mine and it made us strong together. But it was still the beginning for us. Would Adam be able to commit or would he get spooked? Plus, we were about to be torn apart for weeks, living separate lives. I trusted he loved me and didn’t want to hurt me.

What I didn’t trust was Adam’s belief and love for himself. He’d told me it was hard for him to believe he deserved anything good. Would his fears rip us apart before we even had a chance?

“He’s not a cheater,” I said. “It was a game to you. What you could get away with. The only thing that mattered to you was not getting caught.”

He stared at me for a while, then lowered his head. “You’re right. God, I regret what I did every damn second. I became reckless with what we had and now I’ve lost you. That will always haunt me, Landon. But this isn’t about trying to break you up so I can get you back—I know it’s too late. This is about knowing who Adam truly is and being real with yourself.”

“No one knows the future. And I choose him. I choose to believe Adam won’t hurt me.”

Max shook his head, regret carving out his features. “Fine. Just ask him about Josie. Ask him to tell you the truth. Then you decide if I’m trying to bullshit you or not. I’m done trying to convince you. Good luck with Dumped .”

He spun on his heel and started to walk away. I called out his name. “Yeah?”

I hesitated only a few seconds. “When we come back, are you willing to try and forgive? Give us a chance to move forward with everyone?”

I was surprised at his sharp nod. “If you and Adam are still together, then yeah. It’s a month, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be here. I never want to lose you from my life, Landon. No matter what happens.” A small smile played on his lips. “If the world sees what I see, you’ll come back a star.”

Then he disappeared down the block, leaving me with a bittersweet sadness and a strange ringing worry that lodged into my heart.

Josie. Who was Josie? And would it really matter what the story was?

I was strong enough to listen to Adam’s past mistakes and move on. History couldn’t hurt us now. Only our current choices.

I spent the next few hours getting ready to leave tomorrow. It was my last night with Adam and my stomach twisted with dread. I know I should be more excited to get on set and see what the opportunity of reality tv brought, but my interest wasn’t there for the actual job. It was like I was more focused on the opportunities it brought after the show wrapped. I had no desire to play a role and look like an idiot for the audience, but I also knew I’d chosen this and I needed to get on board.

I kept checking the video and the viewers kept growing. I also noticed Dumped was getting some play as people found out I was going to be on the show. I wondered if the producers would change my storyline now that my relationship with Adam was out there. So far, I hadn’t heard anything from my agent so maybe they didn’t know about it yet?

Daisy ended up calling and we spoke for a while. She apologized and said she’d miss me while I was gone; that she’d acted emotionally. Relief flowed through me when we officially made up and ended the call in tears, saying we’d miss each other.

By the time Adam arrived, I was emotionally exhausted but felt as if everything had been wrapped up. I was free to go after one last goodbye.

“Hey.” His shoulders filled the doorway. He smelled of smoke and coffee, wearing ripped cutoffs, sneakers with no socks, and a worn concert t-shirt. His hair was damp from a shower. Those dark eyes studied me with a piercing intimacy that brought goose bumps and a sexual awareness I couldn’t fight. “How did your convo with Gabby go?”

“Good.” I shut the door behind him and filled him in. “I just got off the phone with Daisy. She also apologized and we’re good now.”

He pulled me in for a hug and I snuggled against his hard chest. “I’m glad. You didn’t need to leave with that guilt hanging on you. You’re packed and ready?”

“Yeah.” I hesitated. “Max came by.”

His entire body stiffened but he didn’t stop gently stroking my hair. “Want to tell me about it?”

“Of course. Basically, it was a big warning about not getting involved with you. That you were a cheater like him. That you’d break my heart. Etcetera, etcetera. Yada, yada, yada.”

He let out a long sigh. “Last ditch attempt, huh? I figured. Did he say anything that made you nervous about us? Because for the next few hours, I’m going to fuck you into oblivion and there will be no more words.”

My knees literally sagged and he let out a sexy low laugh. Already, my body was lit on fire, and his palm traced the line of my spine, stopping at the curve of my ass. Slowly, he squeezed.

I fought through the arousal, knowing I had to ask. The name would be imprinted in my memory and it wasn’t fair to either of us for me to pretend otherwise. “He did mention something. Or, someone. Told me to ask you about a woman and demand the truth.”

“I’ll always tell you the truth, princess. But there’s really been no one in my life so I’m not sure who he’s talking about.”

“Her name is Josie. Max told me to ask you about Josie.”

It happened so fast, I wasn’t prepared. In seconds, he released me and stepped back. His face morphed into a stranger, ravaged with pain and rage as he stared back at me. Eyes fierce and coal black glimmered with raw emotion that took my breath and had me retreating, suddenly afraid of what I saw there.

“Adam?” Did I whimper or whisper? I wasn’t sure. My feet were rooted to the floor as I waited. “Who’s Josie?”