The Cell Phone Swap

Chapter 32 iSay Goodbye

"I want to know, Talon," she said firmly. She wouldn't back down, not now, not when their relationship was on the line. "I need to know."

He appeared at war with himself as he bit his lower lip. Then a fierce look of determination swept over him. He yanked the wheel and suddenly she was thrown against the passenger door. His truck squealed to a stop alongside the shoulder of the road.

"Was that really necessary?" she exclaimed, throwing a hand out to steady herself.

A pair of burning blue eyes stared back at her. "You want to know what happened? Fine. Let's talk." He pushed open his door and marched over to her side. His body was rigid as he opened her door and waited for her to get out.

Silently, she followed him as he trudged through the sand and made his way to the shoreline. Orange and pink painted the sky as the sun dipped behind the horizon. It would have been a romantic moment if the topic had been anything other than an ex-girlfriend.

He finally stopped when the waves of the rising tide lapped against his ankles. Looking out at the sea, he jammed his hands into his front pockets and hunched his shoulders. "I'm not sure how to tell you," he started. "I never wanted you to know, but in the back of my mind, I think I always knew it would come to this."

She stopped several feet away and made an indiscernible sound. The only acknowledgement she gave that she heard him.

"Growing up, I was always getting in trouble for being too impetuous. My grandpa use to warn me that someday I would regret not taking the time to stop and think before acting." He shook his head slightly and gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Damn, was he ever right. There's not a day that goes by that I don't wish I had stopped to think after finding out about Claire and Zach."

His ominous words sent a ripple of alarm over her skin. She shivered and rubbed her arms, trying to inject warmth into her body. The motion caught his attention. Without hesitation, he took off his button-down shirt and draped it over her shoulders. She went to give him a small smile of thanks, but he'd already turned to look back at the ocean. She took that time to study his profile. The playful smirk that usually lit up his face was gone. Instead, he wore a dull expression mixed with resignation and sadness.

"I was so enraged when I caught them," he continued. "I don't know what was worse, learning about her cheating, or knowing the person she betrayed me for was Zach. The night I find out, I confronted her. I demanded to know why she would do such a thing. I thought everything was fine. We had a great relationship so why would she turn to Zach? Why would she cheat?" The pain in his voice rose with each word. "What could he give her that and I couldn't? Why wasn't I—" He broke off and pressed his lips together. Clenching his hands into tight fists, he tried again. "Why wasn't I...enough?"

"Oh Talon," she murmured as her heart broke for him. She reached out to offer comfort, but he recoiled as if she burned him.  

"Don't feel sorry for me," he barked, wrenching away from her and wading farther into the water. "I don't deserve it."

"What was her explanation when you asked?"

His shoulders hunched even more. "She said I was too intense. Wasn't ready for that type of relationship and Zach..." he swallowed "...Zach made her laugh."

"That's still no excuse for what she did. If she felt it wasn't working out with you, she should have talked about it first, not gone behind your back."

"Don't judge her too harshly. We all make mistakes."

"You're defending her?" she asked incredulously.

 "I don't applaud her for her actions, but I understand why she felt the way she did. When we were dating, I was still dealing with my grandpa's death. I constantly talked to her about how I was feeling and what I was going through. It wasn't pretty." He grimaced. "In fact, it was kind of dark. It was a lot to put on anyone's shoulders, much less a teenage girl. Combine all that with the pressure of football and..." He shrugged. Then kicked the incoming tide, sending a cascade of water back into the ocean. "Let's just say it was the perfect time for Zach to swoop in."