They Read My Secret Crush Story Out Loud At The Party Chapter 07

There was silence outside for a few seconds before Julian answered.

“I had my reasons.”

“What reasons could keep you away for that long?”

“I owe her that explanation, and I’ll give it to her myself. You can stay out of it.”

Julian’s voice was calm, but he didn’t give an inch.

“And yes, I was gone for eight years. I let her down.”

“But that doesn’t mean someone who spent five years hurting her deserves a place in her life.”

The hallway went quiet.

The doctor finished dressing my knee and gave me a few instructions. When I opened the door, Blake and Julian were standing on opposite sides of the hallway, neither looking at the other.

I walked straight to Julian.

“When are you going to explain?”

He glanced at Blake. “When he’s gone.”

Blake’s face tightened.

I took a deep breath and turned to him. “You should go.”

“Raina Bennett, you’re sending me away for the guy who ran out on you without a word?”

He stared at me in disbelief, as though he’d never imagined I would actually tell him to leave.

“Yes, Blake. I don’t have any use for you anymore.”

My voice was calm, but the words cut deep. His eyes reddened.

“No use for me? Raina Bennett, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“For five years, you never felt a thing for me? I was just a stand-in for the guy who ran out on you?”

I sighed and met his eyes without softening,

“Blake, I was wrong to use you as a stand-in for someone else.”

“But you took it for granted that I’d never leave. You abandoned me, hurt me, and humiliated me, over and

Over That happened, too.”

“So from now on, neither of us owes the other anything.”

He swallowed and stepped closer.

“No! What do you mean, ‘owe’? Do you really have to make such a clean break, Raina?”

I nodded firmly. “Yes. I don’t want anything to do with you anymore.”

“It’s better for both of us to be clear about that. I don’t want to see you again.”

His eyes filled with tears, but didn’t soften. Instead, I gave him back the words he’d used last night.

“I’m only going to say this once.”

“Blake, if you keep following me around like this, you’ll make me uncomfortable, too.”

He stood motionless, his shoulders slumped. It was a long time before he finally stepped back.

With my hand in Julian’s, I walked past him.

In the elevator, I watched the numbers count down.

“Now it’s just us.”

There was silence outside for a few seconds before Julian answered.

“I had my reasons.”

“What reasons could keep you away for that long?”

“I owe her that explanation, and I’ll give it to her myself. You can stay out of it.”

Julian’s voice was calm, but he didn’t give an inch.

“And yes, I was gone for eight years. I let her down.”

“But that doesn’t mean someone who spent five years hurting her deserves a place in her life.”

The hallway went quiet.

The doctor finished dressing my knee and gave me a few instructions. When I opened the door, Blake and Julian were standing on opposite sides of the hallway, neither looking at the other.

I walked straight to Julian.

“When are you going to explain?”

He glanced at Blake. “When he’s gone.”

Blake’s face tightened.

I took a deep breath and turned to him. “You should go.”

“Raina Bennett, you’re sending me away for the guy who ran out on you without a word?”

He stared at me in disbelief, as though he’d never imagined I would actually tell him to leave.

“Yes, Blake. I don’t have any use for you anymore.”

My voice was calm, but the words cut deep. His eyes reddened.

“No use for me? Raina Bennett, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“For five years, you never felt a thing for me? I was just a stand-in for the guy who ran out on you?”

I sighed and met his eyes without softening,

“Blake, I was wrong to use you as a stand-in for someone else.”

“But you took it for granted that I’d never leave. You abandoned me, hurt me, and humiliated me, over and

Over That happened, too.”

“So from now on, neither of us owes the other anything.”

He swallowed and stepped closer.

“No! What do you mean, ‘owe’? Do you really have to make such a clean break, Raina?”

I nodded firmly. “Yes. I don’t want anything to do with you anymore.”

“It’s better for both of us to be clear about that. I don’t want to see you again.”

His eyes filled with tears, but didn’t soften. Instead, I gave him back the words he’d used last night.

“I’m only going to say this once.”

“Blake, if you keep following me around like this, you’ll make me uncomfortable, too.”

He stood motionless, his shoulders slumped. It was a long time before he finally stepped back.

With my hand in Julian’s, I walked past him.

In the elevator, I watched the numbers count down.

“Now it’s just us.”

There was silence outside for a few seconds before Julian answered.

“I had my reasons.”

“What reasons could keep you away for that long?”

“I owe her that explanation, and I’ll give it to her myself. You can stay out of it.”

Julian’s voice was calm, but he didn’t give an inch.

“And yes, I was gone for eight years. I let her down.”

“But that doesn’t mean someone who spent five years hurting her deserves a place in her life.”

The hallway went quiet.

The doctor finished dressing my knee and gave me a few instructions. When I opened the door, Blake and Julian were standing on opposite sides of the hallway, neither looking at the other.

I walked straight to Julian.

“When are you going to explain?”

He glanced at Blake. “When he’s gone.”

Blake’s face tightened.

I took a deep breath and turned to him. “You should go.”

“Raina Bennett, you’re sending me away for the guy who ran out on you without a word?”

He stared at me in disbelief, as though he’d never imagined I would actually tell him to leave.

“Yes, Blake. I don’t have any use for you anymore.”

My voice was calm, but the words cut deep. His eyes reddened.

“No use for me? Raina Bennett, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“For five years, you never felt a thing for me? I was just a stand-in for the guy who ran out on you?”

I sighed and met his eyes without softening,

“Blake, I was wrong to use you as a stand-in for someone else.”

“But you took it for granted that I’d never leave. You abandoned me, hurt me, and humiliated me, over and

Over That happened, too.”

“So from now on, neither of us owes the other anything.”

He swallowed and stepped closer.

“No! What do you mean, ‘owe’? Do you really have to make such a clean break, Raina?”

I nodded firmly. “Yes. I don’t want anything to do with you anymore.”

“It’s better for both of us to be clear about that. I don’t want to see you again.”

His eyes filled with tears, but didn’t soften. Instead, I gave him back the words he’d used last night.

“I’m only going to say this once.”

“Blake, if you keep following me around like this, you’ll make me uncomfortable, too.”

He stood motionless, his shoulders slumped. It was a long time before he finally stepped back.

With my hand in Julian’s, I walked past him.

In the elevator, I watched the numbers count down.

“Now it’s just us.”