Fire With Fire.

20.

When I sit down in front of him in the small booth at Mackie's, he doesn't say anything. He gives me a look of relief, letting go of a long, slow breath. 

"Hey.." I say, breaking the silence.

"I ordered you a mocha milkshake, as promised." He grins.

"Thanks." I smile awkwardly, wiping some rain drops off my phone and taking my hood off.

"Zoey, first of all, I just..I'm sorry. And I know sorry won't undo what I did that night, but I just hate myself so much for hurting you, and all I feel is regret."

I say nothing, looking at the charms on my wrist.

"I need you in my life, Zoe. I miss you so fucking much. I'm the best version of myself when I'm with you." The best version of himself..right. 

I fight to not roll my eyes at his cliché sentences, and at how contradictory they were.

"Come back to me, please."

Every bit of me wanted to get sassy with him. Tell him I found someone new. Someone better. But Hayden wasn't mine, and the fact he was 12 years older than I was made the situation pretty tricky. 

The milkshakes arrived, and I immediately tackle the whipped cream. Truitt chuckles, earning a puzzled look from me.

"I love it when you do that." He says, wiping some cream off the side of my mouth and sucking it off his finger.

"Truitt...I know we have history, but-"

"No buts. Please."

"I need to think-"

"I've given you time to think, Zoey. Don't you miss me?"

I think back to how we were before everything turned sour. I couldn't deny that we were happy. Very happy.

"Things changed Truitt, and you can't blame me for feeling different. You made me-"

"But I lov-"

"No, it's my turn to speak. I'm different, so are you. Unfortunately, we didn't change for the betterment of each other., and our relationship just...declined because of it. Truitt, you're a great guy. But...not one for me. Not anymore."

"What are you saying?" Tears immediately began drowning his sweet, chocolate eyes.

"I can't be your girlfriend anymore. And I think you've known that for a while now." 

He looks at his hands, beginning to sniffle. My throat begins to choke up as well, tears lightly brimming my blue irises. There was a time I thought we were forever. 

"Can we at least be friends?" He asks, smiling through his tears. I smile back at him, nodding.

"Sure, Truitt."

We finish our milkshakes in silence, and for the first time in a long time, it was a comfortable one.

"Can I send you home? It's pouring outside." He asks as we finish up, looking at the thunderstorm brewing outside.

"But my bike-"

"You know it can fit in the back. I insist." He smiles.

I hesitate, worried Hayden might see him. But it was also too dangerous to ride in this weather.

"Okay, just be careful with the bell, its fragile." I sigh, and we run to his car. While I was safe and sheltered in the front seat of his pick up, he enters minutes later soaking from head to toe.