Beautiful Mess(102)

“Ambria, I’m so sorry!” Cole turned anxious, pleading eyes on her. “Trey showed up, and I panicked! I didn’t know how to handle him. I didn’t know what to do. God, Bri, I’m so sorry.” He reached out for her.

“Don’t touch me!” She wiped furiously at her tears. “I am so angry with you right now, you have no idea. You hurt me, and all I want is to hurt you back. It’s taking everything in me not to punch you right now.”

“Do it,” he begged sadly. “Punch me, kick me, whatever you want. I deserve it.”

More tears flowed, and she took a few breaths to try and reign in her anger. “I just... I can’t be around you right now. Please just take me home,” she demanded stoically.

Cole nodded, and a few minutes later pulled into her driveway. He turned to her desperately.

“Bri...,” he began apprehensively.

“You need to not call me for a while,” Bri said, refusing to look at him. Her voice sounded as dead as she felt.

“Ambria, please!” he pleaded with frightened eyes. “I made a mistake. I screwed up royally, I know that! Just, please, give me a chance to make this right!”

Bri took a deep breath, pushing her bubbling emotions back down. “I need some time. Maybe we can talk in a couple of days or something,” she said quietly, and climbed out of the truck.

Cole grabbed her hand, stopping her.

“Don’t,” his eyes glistened. “Don’t shut me out. Talk to me, scream at me, whatever you need to make you feel better. But don’t just walk away!”

She glared at Cole’s hand, and then at him, until he removed it.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever feel better. Goodbye, Cole.”

“Ambria!” Cole yelled, but she slammed the door on his pleas. Trying to ignore the pain and desolation in his voice, she walked into her house without a glance behind her. She shut herself in her room and spent the rest of the night alone with her tears.





The next morning Bri was all cried out, and all out of anger to sustain her. She was left feeling raw, sad, and empty. She walked around school feeling like a hollow shell of herself. She didn’t feel like talking, and when her friends asked what was wrong, she couldn’t tell them. It was one of those days she wished she’d stayed home in bed.

Cole looked like he was in just as bad shape as she was. He had dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn’t slept at all last night. Bri thought Cole’s obvious misery would make her feel better, instead it just made her feel worse. But, her pride refused to let her cave.

Trey tried to apologize to her in History, but one withering glare shut him up and sent him sulking back to his desk. It made Bri feel marginally better that Trey at least felt a little bit bad about what had happened. But she still questioned how genuine he really was.

Cole, on the other hand, didn’t try to talk to her at all. He just followed her with his sad, pleading eyes wherever she went. She hated to admit it, but his pain and sadness were breaking her heart almost as much as his betrayal had. And this made her angry, and then just sad, because she didn’t have the energy to be angry anymore. She was emotionally exhausted.

After school, she slowly made her way to her locker. She began pulling out her books, when Trey approached her.

“Hey Bri,” he gave her a sheepish grin.

She stifled a groan. “What do you want?” She said flatly. She didn’t even have the energy to be rude.

“I, um, just wanted to say I’m sorry. You know, for yesterday.”

Bri arched her eyebrow disbelievingly. Trey let out a huff.

“I shouldn’t have left you on the side of the road, okay? It was wrong, and I’m sorry,” he finished quietly.

“Really?” She was surprised at his apparent sincerity.

“Forgive me?” He smile up at her through his lashes.

“Whatever,” She replied noncommittally and turned back to her locker.

“Good!” Trey beamed. “So, there’s a party this weekend, and I was thinking that we could go together. As friends.”

“Trey...,” Bri put a palm to her head and squinted against the headache she felt coming on.

“What? It’s not a date or anything. I just thought we could be friends.” Trey kept his stupid grin in place, as if that would convince her to agree.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him. She had no more patience, and realized she needed to be very clear, or he’d keep pushing.

“No Trey, I don’t want to go to the party with you,” she said calmly but firmly. “I don’t want to do anything with you. I don’t want to hang out, I don’t want you to call. I don’t want to be your friend, period.”