Two Weeks to Fall in Love

35. Two Weeks to End the Relationship

It was always going to end this way.

I knew that. I had made up my mind. Really, I had. This was something that had to be done.

But why, then, had I found it so hard to get out of bed in the morning?

Why did I, like a coward, message Noah that Melissa would be driving me to school?

Why had I been doing my best to avoid him all day?

If this was the right thing to do... how come it felt so deeply wrong?

Sighing, I dragged my feet to the next class. It was like I was postponing the inevitable. But it wasn't just that. Even looking at Noah now, felt wrong. He didn't know anything. For him, the last thing on his mind was probably what I was about to do. After all, Saturday had been... I couldn't even think about Saturday. That was way too painful. I had to draw a line somewhere.

"There you are." Noah's voice made me freeze on the spot. "I was beginning to think you were avoiding me."

Shit. I forgot we had the same last class. Squeezing my hands together to stop them from shaking, I looked up at him, trying to fake a smile.

"It's just been a hectic day." I said and when I saw the relief on his face my heart broke. "Can we talk, after class?"

His brow creased and he tilted his head. "Sure, what's up?"

I looked up at him, the small smile on his face, still so blissfully unaware. Maybe I didn't have to break up with him. Maybe I could make up for what I had planned to do. Maybe–

Christina bumped against me as she went into the class. The look she gave me could have made hell freeze over.

There was no making up for it.

"It's just–I'll tell you after class."

Noah seemed confused. Concerned. Which was understandable considering how I was acting. I brushed past him, with my head down, found my seat, and kept my head firmly locked on the desk in front of me.

It stayed that way until class had ended. And then the classroom emptied. And I still sat there.

"Skyler?" Noah said from right next to me, and pulled me out of my daze.

Right. Time to get this over with. I got up. Walked past him. He was saying something but I couldn't listen. I couldn't talk. I just wanted to get this over with. Get back to my old life. How it was supposed to be.

The fresh air felt like a whip against my face, each step heavier than the last.

When we climbed down the steps I moved to the side and stopped. I saw Noah's shoes as he came to stand in front of me. Deep breath. Rip it off. Like a bandaid.

"We need to break up." My voice didn't sound like my own.

There was silence. And then Noah laughed. I looked up at him, confused at the reaction. When he saw I wasn't kidding his laughter died down.

"You're... serious? What?" Now it was his turn to be confused.

Get it over with. Just get it over with, Sky.

"I know we weren't supposed to end this... relationship until Tuesday but I don't think there's a point in dragging it out. I think it's better if we just break up now. Easier." Nothing about this was easy.

"Wait, I'm lost, why would we break up? I wasn't planning on–" Noah reached out to take my hand in his and I pulled away as if he had burned me.

"You hurt Lily," I said, and wrapped my arms around myself. Wrong. Lily had never said she was hurt. "I thought you hurt Lily and I wanted to hurt you. I wanted to destroy you."