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  “How am I acting like a slut? I told him to meet me at a public place because I didn’t want the risk of him trying to sleep with me.”

  “Whatever, Audrey. What about Tate? Don’t you care at all?”

  “Yes, I do, and you know it, but why try to make something work with him when there is a chance of it failing?”

  “Audrey, what the hell? Are you going to tip toe through life and do things that are safe or are you going to live and be happy!? This is insane, it’s like I don’t even know you.”

  “I am the same person I was when we met, nothing has changed,” Audrey argued.

  “Then I don’t know if I like this person,” Piper said sadly. It hurt her just as much as it hurt Audrey to hear her say it. “You deserve more and you are settling for crap.”

  “Piper, you just don’t understand-”

  Suddenly there was a knock at Audrey’s window. Turning she saw Levi standing there with a pissed off look on his face and for the first time ever, Audrey didn’t think he looked good. He looked rough, like he had had a bad day or something. What was wrong with him?

  “Audrey?”

  “Hey, let me let you go, Levi is at the window,” she said before hanging up the phone while Piper screamed something along the lines of ‘Don’t open that fucking window.’ But Audrey did and said, “Hey.”

  “What the hell, I’ve been waiting for almost twenty minutes.”

  “I was on the phone,” Audrey said simply.

  “Obviously, come on, let’s get out of here. We’ll go back to my house.”

  He went to open her door but it was locked, and for some reason, she knew not to unlock it.

  “No, I don’t have time for that. What did you want to talk about?”

  Levi let out a frustrated breath before leaning against the car door. Putting a smirk on his face, he said, “You look good, cupcake, you alright?”

  Audrey nodded, “Just fine.”

  “Good,” he said nodding, “so do you miss me?”

  Audrey shrugged her shoulders, “Sometimes.”

  “Well I miss you, why don’t we just by pass all this talk shit and get to what we both want.”

  “I don’t want to bypass anything. I told you my terms, Levi. I don’t want to be just your fuck buddy.”

  “Audrey, come on, this is stupid. Why are you doing this? I thought--”

  “I thought you said you wanted to talk about forever?”

  Levi laughed, “No that was my way of getting you here. Nothing’s changed. I just want you, bad.”

  “For fuck sakes,” she muttered, reaching to start her car.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m leaving,” she said through her teeth, “You turn me into a crazy person, Levi, and I’m fucking tired of it.”

  “Oh come on, why are you being like this. We both know that isn’t true, that you want me.”

  “You’re delusional. Move away from my car, please.”

  “No, get out, let me talk to you,” he demanded, moving his arm into the car to hold on to her steering wheel.

  “No Levi, get your hand off my steering wheel, and leave me be. Don’t bother me anymore.”

  “Why? It’s not like anyone else will ever want you? I’m the only one who wants to deal with your whinny bitch ass self,” he sneered, still holding onto her wheel. For a split second Audrey was a tad bit scared but that was gone and anger replaced it.

  “And you wonder why I don’t want to be with you! You’re an asshole! Get the hell out of my car,” she said smacking his hand away. His eyes went wide and he let go of her wheel as he took a step back, “I don’t even know what I was thinking coming here!”

  “You care about me! You love me!” he yelled.

  “No, I’m done,” she yelled back and then she blurted out, “I’m seeing someone!”

  Levi’s laugh sent chills down her spine. He then leaned in close, his face only inches from hers causing her to back into the headrest. He then flashed her a devilish grin before he whispered, “Your heart belongs to me and always will. No one will ever be what I am to you, you may think I’m an asshole and all that, but you know I am good to you. I took care of you in bed. I was there when you needed me. I don’t know what your problem is, but get the fuck over it. I’m not going anywhere and neither are you. No one and I mean no one will ever want you, so why even try?”

  “That’s not true,” Audrey whispered as Levi smirked at her, his eyes dark with anger.

  “This guy only wants your hot pussy, that’s it. I know you, you probably slept with him within the first week, and now he is hooked. He won’t treat you right and he won’t be there for you. He’ll end up hurting you after he is done fucking you. When he gets to know you, the whiny, needy, bitchy Audrey, the one who wants the house, the kids, and white picket fence, he’ll run. You’re not worth anyone’s time, Audrey.”

  Audrey shook her head as tears gathered in her eyes, “But you want me, what makes you any different from all these guys, Levi?”

  “Because I’m just as fucked up as you. We are good together, Cupcake, so stop fighting this shit,” he said softly, his eyes boring in hers. For a moment she believed that this was the Levi she loved, but something wasn’t right. She knew this was wrong, her heart didn’t want him, because if it did, she wouldn’t be thinking about what Tate would think about her being there with him.

  Shaking her head, Audrey said, “I’m sorry, Levi, I deserve better. I deserve the husband, the white picket fence, and maybe,” she swallowed passed the lump in her throat, “maybe children, but what I don’t deserve is this shit from you. I will always love you, but it isn’t the love I thought it was.”

  Levi shook his head, “That’s bullshit.”

  “I care about you, and know that I will always be here for you, but not in a romantic way anymore, but as friends.”

  Levi’s face was tight with anger before he slammed his fist into the side of her car. Pinning her with a look of death, he sneered, “Fuck you, and your ‘friend shit’.”

  And with that, he was gone.

  Audrey watched as he stomped angrily to his car, and even watched as he pulled away. When she started crying it wasn’t because she had officially ended things with Levi, it was because everything he said could very well be true.

  ***

  Tate sat on his porch with water in his hand and his phone in the other. He thought it would be a little weird to text and ask Audrey were she was so he decided to stalk her Facebook. There wasn’t anything on there and he was confused. He thought she would have been home, getting ready for their date, but she wasn’t.

  Where was she?

  He had had a rough night partying with his old buddies. It was a good time, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Audrey. He had even texted her at the club to tell her he was sorry he wasn’t home. She was cute about it, and told him she expected something big today. Tate planned on delivering just that. In the fridge were a dozen fresh cut, pink chrysanthemums that he knew she would love. He was excited to give them to her, and he was even more excited to wrap her up in his arms.

  But something didn’t feel right.

  Where was she?

  Messing around his on his phone, he brought up her number, and pressed it to call. It only rang twice when she answered.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey you,” he said smiling at the sound of her voice, “I’m very disappointed right now.”

  “Why?” she asked without even a giggle.

  Fuck, something was wrong.

  “Well, I’m home, and you are not.”

  “Oh, shit, what time is it? Crap, I’m turning onto our street, I’m almost there. I lost track of time,” she said flustered.

  “Whoa, it’s okay. I was just joking with you.”

  “Oh, well I’m home now,” she said just as the crunch of her tires on the gravel sounded her arrival. Standing up, he smiled as his eyes met hers.

  “You are, and man, love, you are simply gor