Best friends with A Player.

*Edited-Chapter Sixteen ❀

Zane's P.O.V

For the first time in a long time, I felt like I’d made the right decision. If Hope loved me, she would have understood, she wouldn’t have asked me to pick between her and my best friend, from there it became obvious Maya was the right choice. Maya would never ask me to pick, she’d even offered to walk out of my life so that I’d be happy but I needed her in my life, I wanted her to be in my life.

I pulled her into my chest, smiling lightly as she sobbed. She’d always been a crybaby, my best friend the cry baby. “If you carry on crying, I’ll take back my decision.” I teased her, squeezing her so tightly to me because I wanted to let her know that I never wanted to let her go, ever. I lowed my face, kissing the top of her head as her body shook against mine, sobs ripping through her.

“Hope loves you-“ she gasped out, pulling away from me, before shoving me backwards. She wiped away her tears, so roughly there were red finger prints left on her cheeks. “You made the wrong decision you stupid boy.” She whispered.

It came so sudden, the guilt, the pain, “Fuck you Zane.” Hope shrieked, throwing her rucksack over her shoulder before running out of the building and I watched the girl that was my everything, leave me, just like that and I didn’t fucking stop her, but I should have, but I didn’t.

“Zane!” Maya begged, shoving me towards the door. “Go after her, please.” she was screaming now while throwing feeble punches at my chest.

“I don’t need her when I have you, I’ve survived the last seventeen years without her haven’t I?” I feigned a smile, forcing out the words through barred teeth.

I’d never felt like such a dick head in my life. Hope had opened up to me, I was the first guy she’d let in after the death of her daughters father and I’d lashed out at her, been inconsiderate of her feelings, I hadn’t given her a chance to explain because all I could see was Maya walking out of my life and I wouldn’t go to any extreme to make sure that didn’t happen.

It felt like I was drowning in grief and I could see everyone around me breathing, it felt like I was suffocating, my oxygen supply slowly becoming more and more scarce because I’d changed for Hope, I’d become a better person to prove to her I could do relationships and she’d left me, and I’d crushed her heart and how could I have done that?

“Stop being stupid,” she was crying again. “Go after her Zane.”

I grabbed her face roughly, feeling the steady thumping of her heart against mine. “Look me in the eyes and tell me you want me to go after her and leave you,” I whispered, her breath on my cheeks. “Just say it once, and I’ll go.” I promised.

She gulped, looking me in the eyes, but she couldn’t, you couldn’t lie to anybody, when they asked you to look into their eyes because it was the opening to your soul and you just couldn’t lie. She tore her gaze away, “Stop messing around,” there was desperation in her voice. “You can’t hurt her like that, you’re her everything, she hasn’t got anything left.”

“Maybe she hurt me Maya, this is reality sometimes there aren’t happy ever after’s.” I stated bitterly. I took in a breath, “I haven’t been a good friend to you at all,” I shook my head, mentally beating up myself for how bad of a friend I’d been to her. “I’ve told you, that you’ll come before any girlfriend, any girl, ever in my life and I’d do anything to keep our friendship Maya.” I whispered, and her mouth was slightly ajar, her brown eyes twinkling as she stared at me in awe. “Don’t go all mushy shit on me, okay?” I chuckled.

Her face lit up, and it made me grin because she was so beautiful and she chuckled, giggled at first and then chuckled and it only just hit me, how choosing her over Hope was the best decision I’d made and there were no second thoughts on that.