Even The Playing Field | BOOK #1 IN THE PSU SERIES

fifty-three

My eyes were swollen, my heart hurt, my throat burned, and my stomach was empty.

Because that's what life shows you when you can't be with the one person you want to love.

God—he just bought me the fucking house too. I let out a choked sob at the fact of how big of a mistake I made—how could I be so foolish? Thinking we would be together forever and now I have to leave him before I ruin him.

But all I thought about was how I was going to ruin him- this was going to ruin me.

Destroy me like I somehow destroyed Rob's best friend Ben.

I wiped my tears and took a deep breath. I had to be strong because who am I kidding—did I actually think there was any possible chance of Matti and I working out after he leaves to a whole different city, hours away in a few months? It was good while it lasted, I guess.

"Black—you good?" Finn asked as she spoke through the door. I chuckled and cleared my throat. "Never been better Finney," I responded, trying to add a smile in my tone.

I looked at myself one more time in the mirror before putting a smile on my face and walking out of the bathroom.

Finn awaits me on the other side of the door.

"What's up?" She asks, arms crossed. I shake my head and smile, "Absolutely nothing." I reassure her. She raises an eyebrow. "I don't believe you." She states as I shrug.

"I'm fine, completely fine, one-hundred percent fine, parking ticket fine." I smile at her as she bites her nails. She rolls her eyes, "Promise you'll tell me whatever is going on when you're ready?" She asks as I nod.

She gives me a smile as she turns around and walks down the hallway to the kitchen. I follow her, walking into the living room.

When I do that Sloane bursts through the front door, looking like she had a wild night. I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Family Meeting!" She called out as she walked towards the couch. She sat herself across from me as everyone came and sat down. Natalie's hair still in rollers, Finn with the toast she grabbed from the kitchen, and me; a girl that was about to let go of the person she loved most.

"I can't hold this in anymore—I heard it and I need to let it out. Okay?" Sloane said, she looked like the four loko guy from off of Pittsburgh street.

I nodded and so did everyone else.

"Last night I heard Matti talking to Griffin about leaving Naomi. And this morning I heard Griffin talking about it to Blake." She let out, looking at me with sympathy.

I raised an eyebrow—what?

"I just couldn't keep quiet about this. I couldn't stand by and watch Naomi get treated like dirt from some clown phony!" She continued as I held up my left hand to stop her from overflowing with emotion.

"Sloane, that's old news. He was going to leave me in the beginning but not anymore." I spoke in Matti's defense. Everyone's wide eyes softened as they came to the conclusion that I wasn't about to have my psychotic episode.

"Okay. Well—then. That was dramatic, I'm sorry." She spoke through laughs as Nat, Sloane and I all chuckled. But Finn was sat, deep in thought.

"Family meeting is over," Sloane spoke and went to get off of the couch. But Finn stopped her, "Why were you at the boys this morning?" Finn asked with suspicion in her voice.

And that's when Sloane froze, realizing her mistake that she made. Oh god.

"I forgot my phone—I fell asleep here last night and came back this morning for my phone." She tried to make up an excuse but Finn wasn't letting it slide. "So you remembered in the middle of the night that you forgot your phone as soon as you got home last night, fell asleep and then went back this morning? I didn't hear you leave..." Finn tried to put two and two together.