Chapter 41

“Brees, you know how I feel about you. All I have ever wanted was you,” he said, grabbing my chin and lifting it slightly.

My heart knew that and wanted to believe that, but what I saw with my own eyes was the complete opposite of that.

“I don’t know Kee. Seeing you at her house was enough to break me. Why is this so hard? Love shouldn’t be this hard. What we did was special to me. I was ready to risk it all for this relationship. My heart wants you so badly Keegan,” I said.

He moved in closer and embraced me, “And you can have me. What’s stopping us from being together again?” he asked.

I knew the answer to that question was ISADORA! But I digressed. I let him hold me. I laid my head on his chest. I had hope. I was in love. I needed him. He kissed my forehead gently and brushed my hair back with his fingers.

“Damn girl, I love you so much,” he said, pressing his cheek on mine.

His thumb went to my lips and traced the misshapen heart that they created. I wanted him to kiss me, but I knew I was being stupid.

“Brees? Can I baby?” he asked, with his lips only inches from mine. He slid his hand down the side of my face, bringing it closer to his.

I started to respond when his phone received a text message. Broken from his trance, I looked away.

“It’s okay Brees. It’s just Isadora. I really have nothing to hide. I never respond to her anymore. I meant it when I said I wanted you and only you. Go ahead and check the message,” he said, pushing his phone towards me, while still holding me.

I didn’t want to check. I didn’t feel it was my place. I ran my fingers over the screen for a moment and then finally picked up the phone. I typed in my birthday to see if he still had it saved as his password and the screen unlocked. That’s when I saw the message.

It read,” Sorry for all of the drama at my house yesterday. I really wish you were here in Italy. I’d make it up to you.”

I guess that wasn’t so bad. She could want him and he not want her. I didn’t see any responses to her messages from Keegan. So he was telling the truth. As I was about to set the phone down another message came through and this time it was a photo. Isadora was in pigtails, purple underwear and wearing the LSU hoodie that I bought for Keegan.

“Where did Jeff go?” he asked, trying to make conversation while I checked the messages.

I tried to hold back tears, but I felt my face burning.

“Umm, he left. We broke things off,” I said, turning away from his view.

My hands were shaking. I needed to get out of there.

“Sorry to hear that. I won’t lie I never understood what you saw in that kid anyways,” he bantered.

I turned towards him with my tear-stained face. I could tell my pain caught him off guard by his reaction. He dropped his arms from around me.

“Keegan do you want to know what I see in Jeff? I see a boy that loves me, a boy that never makes me wonder if he is kissing another girl behind my back, a boy that doesn’t hurt me. I see someone that genuinely knows he screwed up and has tried to make it up to me every single day since then. I see a boy that would never spend the night at another girl’s house after he gave me all of him,” I said.