“Then how does it make you feel to have my leftovers? She’s just using you to get back at me.”
“How would you know?” Faith shouted. “It’s not like we ever did it. It’s not like that’s a secret—you told the world. I never loved you, Cameron. You treated me like shit, then you talked trash about me all over school. Kyle is better to me than you ever could be. If I want to be with him, it’s none of your business!”
Cameron lunged forward, and his football buddies sprang after him, trying to catch his arms, but he was too fast.
Kyle was faster. He caught Cameron’s wrist in an iron grip and squeezed. In a dead voice, he said, “Stop. Now.”
Cameron winced but didn’t back down. “Or what? You’re nothing but a big chickenshit. You know it and I know it. Don’t forget—I owned you first.”
It took all his self-control not to break Cameron’s wrist. He let himself squeeze a little harder, though. “Past is past. And you know as well as I do that I could turn you inside out today. Let. It. Go.”
The murmurs of the crowd around them swelled as the baseball team stalked over. “You heard him, jackass,” Tristan said. “It’s not a good idea to start something with a bunch of guys who carry baseball bats in their trunks—and know how to use them.”
Cameron’s face turned purple. “This isn’t over.”
“Go back to Holly,” Faith said. “Leave us alone.”
Cameron glared at her over Kyle’s shoulder. “So that’s how it’s going to be? Your feelings are hurt, so you fight dirty? I knew you were going to break up with me before I even started up with Holly. I could tell. But you didn’t bother to tell me, leaving me hanging for two months.”
Faith stiffened, and Kyle pressed his back against her, to let her know he’d handle it. “You knew, and you still hung on? You waited until you could see the words ‘I’m leaving you’ stamped on her forehead, then cheated on her so you can say you broke up with her? Kind of pathetic, man.”
“I’m not talking to you, Sawyer.”
Faith huffed behind Kyle, and he pulled Cameron’s arm up and back. “It’s over whether you like it or not. Get over her and move on.”
The manager of the drive-in came hustling out. “No fighting! You there—let the kid go!”
Kyle released Cameron’s wrist. “We were just leaving. Good-bye, Cameron.”
Staying in front of Faith, using the rest of his team to provide some cover, Kyle opened her car door and ushered her inside. The team hung around until he started the engine and backed out.
“Where to?” God, he was tired. The adrenaline from the fight was leaving him, and his legs shook whenever he tried to clutch or brake.
“Wherever.” Faith sounded just as tired, and belatedly, he noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Hey, it’s over now.” He reached over to pat her knee. “All done.”
“Do you think I hurt his feelings?”
Kyle’s mouth dropped open. “You care if you did?”
“Well, yeah.” She sniffled. “I’m such an idiot. I’m sorry, Kyle. I pushed things too far, didn’t I? He’s more hurt now than before, and he’s going to go after you again because of me.”
“I’m big enough to take it.” His hands tightened to crushing force on the steering wheel, like he wished they had around Cam’s wrist. “Don’t worry about me. And don’t worry about him. He’s not worth the time. He hurt you, Faith. Over and over. You deserve a guy…” He swallowed hard, knowing he was about to throw away one of the best things to ever happen to him. “You deserve a guy who’s honest with you. Who gives you all his attention. Not someone who sees you as a distraction.”
She gulped down a shuddering breath. “Could we go somewhere? Just for a minute? If I go home crying, my mom will ask a bunch of questions. And my dad might shoot at you.”
“I know just the place.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Faith
Faith should’ve expected that Cameron would cause a scene, and she knew she shouldn’t feel guilty, but she did. Kyle was right. Cameron could’ve replaced her with any girl and been just fine. Still, the look on his face, the betrayal. It was worse than she’d expected. And Holly had looked like someone had sucked all the air out of her lungs. Faith had a feeling Cam wouldn’t have his new girlfriend for long after all that.
Maybe she should’ve left him sooner, before she’d ended up hurting four people instead of two.
When she nudged that thought, tears welled up in her eyes again. She was embarrassed. Stupidly, foolishly embarrassed. What had gone wrong? This was supposed to be the perfect revenge, and instead she felt like a bitch who had played two guys who hated each other into fighting over her. That hadn’t been what she wanted at all, but it’s what she deserved.
They turned onto a gravel road, and the Charger bumped its way down to a park. It was dark enough out that Faith couldn’t see much more than big trees everywhere, and the sign in the headlights said MORTON ATHLETIC COMPLEX.