"Why? I don't understand. I haven't even seen you in years, ever since…" I trailed off not wanting to specifically talk about it.
"I'm sorry Max. For everything Fang did to you. I really don't think he ever realized how much he hurt you. I need to tell you something," he began. I was starting to have a bad feeling about the way this was headed. Dylan was normally a really straightforward guy, and especially for him to have to add the 'I'm so sorry' in there meant it was pretty bad probably.
"You don't have to do this, not with me. You can just tell me," I advised him and he let out a breath.
"This isn't something I want to say, Max. You've always been like a sister to me and I can't stand hurting you." He sighed before continuing. "I wrote those notes with the warnings on them. I sent them to you because I wanted you to notice before you got hurt, but I think I was too late."
"You're talking about Fang, aren't you?" I asked, my heart feeling like it was being crushed again. Why had I been so stupid? I knew I shouldn't have trusted him! I told myself I wouldn't because I still remembered exactly what it was like last time. I could never forget something like that.
Dylan nodded, and looked at the ground. "It makes me embarrassed to be associated with him. When people here my name, I'm sure they think of Fang. That's now how I want to be known." I nodded, kind of knowing how he felt. It was basically like being stereotyped, but by his own brother.
"So…you're saying that he never meant anything that he's said in the past few weeks?" I asked. I bit my lip. I was tough. I was strong. I went through everything last time so I would be able to stay strong if it happened again. I assumed it would, because that can be part of life. But I never would've guessed it'd be him. I should have though. I thought of a popular saying, 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.' It really was my fault wasn't it?
Dylan nodded sadly. "It was a bet. To make you fall for him after everything that happened before, and then to become your boyfriend. He was going to dump you sooner or later I guess. He had some guys and some obnoxious girl over and I could hear them talking about it. I didn't know how else to tell you Max. I really am sorry. I hate him for it."
I just scowled. I didn't know what I felt. I wasn't incredibly angry and I wasn't incredibly sad either. I should have expected this. Most girls are the ones who want to get revenge on their exes and do nasty things to them to make them pay. I wasn't that low. I wasn't going to hurt him just because he hurt me. That would make me absolutely no different from him, and what good is that to anyone?
"He's at home. He has friends over but I doubt you care. Do you want to go?" Dylan asked, looking up concerned as he watched me.
"Yeah. I don't want to be dumped in front of everyone, even if I do expect it."
"Come on, let's go." He put his arm around me in a sort of one-armed hug. There was nothing going on between me and Dylan. He was just like a brother, and his protective instincts were flaring up.
Dylan opened the front door quietly so it would at least surprise Fang and his little douche friends. Why had he ever agreed to do a bet that directly involved hurting me? As much as I had hated him, and do now too, I would never do something just to hurt him. I mean there was absolutely nothing that benefitted anyone from this stupid bet.
Well there ya have it kids, I officially hated Fang Walker.
I climbed the stairs leading to his bedroom without thinking twice. I knew this house so well, despite the fact that I hadn't been here for years. But it's hard to forget somewhere you spent almost every day for years on end.
"I still can't believe she fell for it in the first place! Let alone still be head over heels for you Fangles!" A familiar voice chirped from behind the door. It was a voice I despised and I just grimaced hearing it.
"I know. Pretty stupid huh? Or maybe I'm just amazing," an even more familiar voice replied, the sound of a cocky smile in his voice. That was enough.
"Yeah pretty freaking amazing." I had barged in on their little parade. "Well at least I'm not stupid enough to have a brother that actually cares." Dylan stepped out from behind the shadows backing me up.
"What the hell Dylan?" Fang asked angrily from his spot on his bed. His arrogance was gone and replaced with anger.
"No. What the hell is wrong with you Fang? Why would you ever do something like that. It's bad enough what you did before, and now to go and take it up like 10 notches?" Dylan replied, his normally soft turquoise eyes had turned angry. Angrier than I had ever seen.
"It was a bet, and I won," Fang said flashing a grin towards one of his douche friends, Frankie.
"There's absolutely no reason why anyone should do that to anyone. She'd finally started trusting you again. That was low Fang, even for you." Dylan ran a hand through his sandy hair, brushing it to the side.
"What I don't understand is why you did it? I would never hurt you Fang. As much as I hate you, I still don't want to hurt you like you did," I answered looking him dead in the eye. He couldn't hold my gaze, and turned to look at the floor.
"Well then you're just a freaking role model then aren't you?" Lissa responded glaring at me. She used a perfectly manicured hand to push a piece of flaming red hair behind her ear.
"No. But at least I've got the decency to stand up to you." I replied my eyes shooting daggers at anyone who was brave enough to meet my face.
"Too bad Fang had to get paid to go out with you," Lissa sneered.
"At least I don't need to wear makeup to cover up my ugly-ass face," I replied. That actually felt good.
Lissa just stuttered. Fang was the one that answered, "What do you even want Max?"
"To tell you that I'm not as stupid as you think and to tell you that all I want any more is to just be away from you," I replied pretty honestly. And when I say far away, I mean on another freaking planet. And that would still be too close.
Fang opened his mouth to say something else, but before I could I turned and stormed off.
"Max," Dylan called and I spun around. I wasn't crying, but my heart felt like it was shattering into a million little pieces. Again.
"I just need to go home. Thanks Dylan. I owe you one," I called back, and then took off sprinting towards my house. For the first time in over 3 years, real tears fell down my face. So much for my whole staying strong thing.
Thankfully my mom wasn't home yet and I ran up to my room, slamming the door just like when I was 9. I curled up on my bed as tears streamed down my face. I wasn't sure if I was madder at myself for trusting him or more mad at him for making me trust him. He went to so much trouble, and just for a stupid bet.
The tears ended, and the anger faded. The sadness too. I had to go to school on Monday, and I realized that I just wanted to be me. I didn't want to seem all depressed it would just boost Fang's ego and satisfy him and all his jerk friends. If I came to school all upset and torn apart after one breakup, that would make me seem so weak. I didn't want to appear as if I was another girl to fall victim to Fang's trap. Even though I did, but I still stood him up for it. And that stupid lie about his sick mom just made it all worse too. But I also knew that I wasn't going to act all incredibly tough and strong because that would be just obvious what I was doing. It would make it look like I was trying to make Fang feel bad. But, if I was just me, I could act as though he hadn't hurt me and fazed me as much as he thought he'd had. Almost make it look like I didn't care. Hopefully that wouldn't give him the sick satisfaction he wanted.
And now I was back to where I was before. Playing the stupid trust game. Too bad I'd lost again.
