➳♥
Summer's POV
I was beginning to lose my nerve as I neared the end of Devon's street. Every possible outcome began circulating through my brain, and none of them had a happy ending. He was understanding months ago but this was different.
I didn't lie to him.
When I was dating Chris, Devon and I began growing apart. Chris was jealous of him, convincing me having someone like him around wasn't good for me; good for my reputation. I protested, trying to assure him that he was only my closest friend and he respected me and my relationship. But Chris wasn't having it. He was furious, accusing me of cheating on him with Devon. To prove my love and loyalty, he made one simple request.
End my friendship or else.
I know it sounds horrible. Why would I choose him over my best friend? But it wasn't that simple. I was young and aiming to please. I loved Chris in some weird, fucked up way. He was my first everything and he used that to control me, keep me at bay. To spare Devon from the what else I told him we'd have to have some space from one another and while he hated the idea, he didn't protest. When prom season came around I was miserable, more miserable than I was the entire year. I was relieved when Devon and I caught Chris cheating on me prom night because it gave me a way out. I broke up with him on the spot and that was the end of Chris and I. I told Devon about all the cheating which I was already aware of and let him think that was our only problem.
I told him what was there in plain sight, not bothering to add fuel to the flame.
"Summer, hi sweetie!" Sandra opened the door inviting me in. She looked a lot better these days. "Sorry Ms. Harris, is Devon home?" I asked nervously pinching my hand. "Yes, he's upstairs in his room." She sat at the kitchen table and poured herself a cup of tea. "Thank you," I said politely before running upstairs and giving Devon's door a knock.
"Summer, what are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you but it's late." He was wearing gray sweatpants that hung way too low on his waist. He was shirtless, hair perfectly messy as if he had just woken up. My mind wanted to lead elsewhere and it pained me that the reason I'd rushed over wasn't for something more lighthearted.
I brushed past him, trying to ignore his intoxicating stature, and began pacing back and forth biting my nails.
"What's wrong?" His voice was quiet and tender as he walked over to me, placing both of his hands on my shoulders trying to calm me down. I wanted so badly to just melt in his embrace and take Chris with me to my grave, but I could feel him off somewhere satisfied over the hold he had on me.
"I have to tell you something and I need you to listen before you say anything."
He took a few steps back, putting his hands in his pockets. "What's going on?" Taking a deep breath, I silently encouraged myself to look him in the eyes.
"That morning I went to the mall with Jess, I ran into Chris."
His jaw tightened and fists clenched at the mention of his name.
"Did he say anything to you?" He looked concerned, sad even. I was praying that sadness wouldn't turn to anger. "Briefly." The silence in the room was deafening as I prepared myself to continue. "The reason why I've been acting so weird is because ever since then, he's been texting me nonstop every day. I've tried blocking him but another number always pops up." He stood quietly, mouth parted slightly, brown eyes burning into mine.
"Please say something."
His fist unclenched, and his face relaxed. "What has he been saying to you?" I reluctantly passed him my phone and watched as he scrolled through all of the messages, getting angrier by the second. He locks it and hands it back to me once he's had enough.
"This has been going on for weeks Summer. Why didn't you say anything once it got to this point?" His voice was calm but I could tell he was holding back. "I wanted to handle it myself." He sucked his teeth. "And did you?" I creased my forehead unsure if my words with Chris were enough to get him to really back off.
"I think I did.."
"You think you did?"
His voice raised an octave.
"You lied to me, Summer. Looked me dead in my eyes and lied to me."
"It's not like I wanted to lie! I just didn't know what else to do. I didn't want to worry you." He rubbed his hands against his forehead, making the spot red. "Worry me? Summer, I'll always be worried about you." His finger grazed my cheek, something that would usually set me ablaze but right now it only made me feel worse.
"I went to talk to Jess the other day...does she know?"
"Yes and I'm sorry she lied to you for me."
He sat down on his bed, shaking one of his legs.
"Does anyone else know?"
I bit my lip, dreading answering his question. I couldn't lie to him, not again. "Just Caleb and Tyler but they-"
"Caleb and Tyler?" He laughed, dropping his head. "Devon they don't know anything more than him texting me. I needed Caleb's help finding out how he was able to contact me when I blocked him." He looks at me. "And Tyler?" I stared at him blankly.
"He asked."
His face was expressionless and somehow that was worse than any other emotion he could've worn.
"Summer I'm not mad you didn't want to talk about it. The way he treated you, how long it took you to tell me everything; I get it. I won't blame you for that."
I felt a but coming.
"But why did you have to lie? I was so worried about you. I asked and you told me you were fine, that work was stressing you out and I didn't push you even though I knew something else was going on. But Tyler asks and that's it? That's all it takes?"
His voice shook and he looked away.
"It wasn't like that I promise you."
"I don't know Summer.."
I sat down next to him, turning his face to look at me. "I would never." I was pleading with him, hoping he'd believe me. I knew what it felt like to be cheated on. I would never hurt him like that. "You have every right to be mad at me but I wanted to protect you. You were lucky enough you got off with just a suspension senior year." He had everything to lose and I didn't want to be the reason for it, I wouldn't.
"Yeah, well you wait til I see him now."
"No."
His eyebrow raised. "No? Summer have you looked at your messages? The things he said to you, I could kill him."
"He doesn't mean anything we can just drop-"
"Doesn't mean anything? Summer, he means everything!" He stood up walking away from the bed and me. "He's been harassing you for weeks, you've been a different person for weeks and you want to tell me he means nothing? He won't do that shit again I can promise you that."
"What are you gonna do huh?! Fight him? You could get in serious trouble Devon you have a scholarship, scouts. You'd risk all of that for what?"
"For you Summer! I'd risk all of that for you."
A tear fell down my cheek allowing the rest to follow suit. "You mean more to me than any of that. Fuck the scholarship, fuck football, I'll be fine. But this? No, no this isn't fine."
"Devon please." He walked over to me wiping a tear from my cheek. "I love you, Summer. I know you want to protect me, and I appreciate that." He kissed me gently before pulling away.
"But I'm going to protect you too."
...
In the days that followed Devon and I had barely spoken or seen each other. His routine was camp, work, and home while mine was a constant back and forth between work and burying my head under my covers. I wanted to give him space to calm down, I mean he couldn't seriously be thinking of risking everything he's worked towards just for me. Who was I kidding? He'd always been like that. He'd put everything on the line if it meant protecting someone he loved and I admired him for it, envied him.
Even if it was his downfall.
After a few pep talks from Jess, I sat my parents down and told them everything. She had been right there with me, holding my hand while I retold the worst year of my life along with the events that happened recently. They weren't angry at me for waiting so long to tell them, they were sad for me; sad that I had to go through it alone. Sad that I felt like there was no one I could talk to. My dad wanted to drive to Chris' house and exchange a few words with him and while Jess backed him up fully, my mother and I convinced him how bad of an idea it was.
Chris hadn't texted me since our last conversation but I wasn't satisfied. Jess thought I was being paranoid but I had a feeling I couldn't shake no matter how hard I tried. No one knew him as well as I did.
How determined he was.
"Come on, let's go get some ice cream or something; it'll cheer you up!" Jess pulls on my arm trying to get me out of the bed. "Are you paying?" She laughs and pulls out her wallet. "Yes so get up and let's go, I'll even drive." I hesitantly get out of bed and slip on my shoes following her out the door. It was Sunny outside, no clouds in sight. A stark contrast to my bedroom. I put my hand on the sun that hung on my neck religiously and scoffed.
Is this some kind of sick joke?
The best ice cream shop around was near the beach Devon worked at but Jess didn't know that and I wasn't going to tell her. "What's good around here?" she questioned, tapping on her phone. "Uh, there's a place like five minutes away from here?" She hummed and continued scrolling. "What about the Frozen Cone? They have really good reviews and it's by the beach, we can walk the pier for a bit." Fuck you Google. "No, I think we should go-" She pulled out of my driveway and turns up my radio.
"You have terrible taste, Frozen Cone it is."
Why did the universe hate me?
It was Saturday, Devon didn't always work Saturdays; maybe this was one of the days he was off? We pulled into the parking lot and I scanned it, looking for Devon's car pleased when I came up empty.
"Why are you being so weird?"
"I'm not being weird?"
Jess rolls her eyes and gets out of the car.
"Ouuu, I think I'll get cookies n' cream on a waffle cone what about you?"
"Probably cake batter."
We waited in the back of the line for our turn to order.
Devon's POV
"You owe me, this is my day off and I'm spending it running you around."
"I'm not the only one who wanted ice cream!" Olivia snapped back at me. We pulled into the Frozen Cone parking lot and she hopped out as soon as I nudged into a spot.
"Is that Summer?"
She smacked my arm and pointed to the line. It's been a few days since I've talked to her, but not from my lack of trying. She wanted to give me space but I didn't need it.
"Yeah, it is." I'd recognize her anywhere.
"But let's not make a-"
"Hey Summer!!" Olivia called out waving her hand. "Whose side are you on?" She rolled her eyes and smiled as Summer turned around. "Grow up! And if there was a side I had to pick it would be Summer's."
I was going to have to get a new sister.
"Hey Liv, how are you?" Summer walked over to us giving her a hug. "I'm okay." Liv steps on my foot, her not-so-subtle way of getting us to talk.
"Summer, can we talk?" I winced, wiggling my foot around.
Before she could answer Jess joins us and introduces herself to my sister.
"Hi, I'm Jess and you are?"
"I'm Olivia."
"Why don't we grab everyone's ice cream and let them talk?" Jess nodded to me then looked back at my sister. "Sure, Devon give me the money." I dug in my pocket handing her a twenty and she promptly walked back into the line.
"Do you want to walk for a bit?"
"Okay."
We strolled towards the beach in silence, waiting for the other to break it. "This is ridiculous Summer, I told you I didn't need space." She stopped in front of me, lightly pulling at her necklace. "I'm sorry, I feel like I keep messing things up. I thought that's what you would've wanted. I've never done this before, not the right way at least. I mean I look at my parents and everything just seems so easy for them, they barely even fight!"
She sighed heavily, rethinking her words.
"I just don't want to ruin what we have."
"Summer you're the first girlfriend I've ever had, my parents have argued for as long as I can remember, my dad's been cheating on my mom for years and got another woman pregnant from a one-night stand. I don't know how this works either, but I told you from the beginning we'd figure it out together and I think we've been doing pretty good so far don't you?"
She groaned, sitting on a nearby bench. "How are you so good at this?" I sat beside her, wrapping my arm around the chair's back, "good at what?" She glared at me, "this, us." Her gaze turned to the waves as she played with the hem of her shorts.
"We've been together for six months Summer."
"But we've only been official for four."
"Okay and we've known each other for six years. So yeah, you're not a puzzle to me."
She glanced at me, smiling softly. "Yes, but this is different."
I wanted to kill Chris for what he'd done to her. Before she had met him she radiated confidence, it was always something I admired. She was sure of herself, maybe a little too sure sometimes but she always stood her ground; not taking shit from anyone.
I liked that about her. The way she always told me off without caring how I'd respond. She barely knew me and yet she wouldn't hesitate to curse me out to keep me on point. It was why I wanted to get to know her more once the project was over, she had piqued my interest like no girl ever had before. During and after Chris she lived on uncertainty, carefully analyzing every word she said and every move she made. She apologized for everything even when it wasn't her fault. She was overly concerned for others almost neglecting herself entirely. She'd gotten better over the years, even more so after we got together but a year's worth of emotional abuse doesn't go away just because you've found someone new. She's been repeating the awful things he's said to her for so long now...
It'd take a lot more than me to undo that.
"You were mine long before I gave you that necklace Summer Nolan." I grab her hand placing it in my lap. "Look, just talk to me next time okay? That's all I ask." She squeezes my hand and rests her head on my shoulder.
"About Tyler."
"What about him?"
"There's nothing going on between us if that's what you were worried about. We don't even talk outside of work." I laughed and kissed her hand repeatedly. "I know that Summer. I'm not threatened by him, never have been. Tyler may be a lot of things but he's not an idiot. An asshole, but not an idiot." Her laugh rang out alerting some nearby pigeons.
"So are we good?"
I averted my attention to her lips, suddenly overcome by the desire to taste them.
"I see you guys have made up."
Jess and Olivia walked towards us holding two white paper bags. "Good, she's been a mess for days." Jess handed Summer a bag, taking her ice cream out beforehand. "So has Devon, all he talked about was Summer, Summer, Summer." I snatched the bag from Olivia's hands, pulling out my ice cream. "Yeah, and where's my change?" She patted her pocket giggling, "let me keep it and I won't tell mom you left me at soccer practice."
Who was this and what has she done to my little sister?
"I was only an hour late! You know what? Whatever, keep it." She smiles innocently and skips off to the car.
"She's had this attitude for weeks now." Summer and Jess both laughed. "What is she thirteen? I promise it'll get a lot worse once she's in high school." They didn't have to remind me. "I gotta go but I'll see you later Summer." I kissed her forehead and tapped on the necklace I had given her months ago. "Don't forget what I told you." She nodded her head and I said goodbye to Jess before running to catch up to Liv.
"Do you mind if we make a pit stop before going home?"
"No, where are we going?"
I fastened my seatbelt before pulling out of Frozen Cone's parking lot.
"I need to talk to Tyler."
➳♥
END♡
It's almost Summer's birthday! Yayyy!! 🥳🥳