Chapter 2 The Last Straw

Derek stared at me, disappointment written all over his face. "I gave Anna my word. The decision has been made."

Before I could say anything, the door slammed shut with a deafening bang. My heart jolted with it.

Silence settled over the room again, as if the argument had never happened.

But the pain it left behind was overwhelming. It crashed over me all at once, making it hard to breathe.

In all the years we had been together, this was the first time Derek had ever lost his temper with me. For the sake of an outsider, he had torn me apart.

He made all the love, devotion, and waiting I had given him over the years feel like a cruel joke.

I should have seen him for who he was much sooner. Maybe then I would not have let him hurt me this badly.

My eyes burned with tears, but I refused to cry over either of them. I found the coordinator's number and told him plainly that I was not withdrawing. Derek had no right to replace me.

But the next day, I could not take the field.

Anna stood there holding my uniform, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry, Lily. I really didn't mean to ruin your uniform."

My whole body trembled. The long tear in the fabric was so obvious that there was no way it had happened by accident.

She could not beat me on the dance team, so she resorted to this to force me out of her way. And the reason she was so fearless was simple.

Derek had her back. She knew that no matter what happened, he would take her side.

I had finally had enough. I raised my hand and swung at her, but my hand never reached her face.

Derek stepped in front of her. He grabbed my wrist in a crushing grip and flung me aside.

I stumbled backward, hit the wall, and sucked in a sharp breath as pain shot through my back.

Derek froze, about to come over to check on me, but Anna grabbed his arm and kept him where he was.

I took a step back on my own, putting more distance between us.

Derek's gaze fell on my cheer uniform, and he frowned. "I tore your uniform. It had nothing to do with Anna. Don't make things difficult for her."

I jerked my head up and glared at him, my chest aching. He did not want me to make things difficult for Anna. But for Anna's sake, he had no problem making things difficult for me.

My eyes turned red as I fought back tears.

"Derek, you're my boyfriend. Defending another woman just because she's from your hometown… Do you think that makes you loyal? Or are you just trying to help her?"

"I'm not," Derek said quickly.

"I just want you to give up your spot. Anna's been through so much. Lily, you weren't like this before. Didn't you say you wanted to look out for her? Then why can't you help her this time? Or were you just saying that to make yourself look good? Did you never really mean it?"

I stood there, completely stunned. So in Derek's eyes, everything I had done for Anna had only been an act. His words stabbed straight into my heart.

"I've done so much for Anna. Are you really going to erase all of it over one cheer squad spot? Derek, you're an athlete. You should understand better than anyone what fairness means."

Derek lowered his head. "As long as you step aside, Anna can take your place. Lily, you don't need this opportunity. Anna does."

A sharp pain twisted through my chest, over and over, as though something inside me were being wrung tighter with every passing second.

I felt like a fool. A fool forced to stand there and watch Derek beg me for an opportunity on Anna's behalf. If that was how he wanted it to be, then so be it.

"Let's break up. You've been so good to Anna. You might as well be her boyfriend."