Page 25 of Wild Thing
Do I tell him the truth? That I'm having dinner with an ex?
No. There was no way. Even though it was just dinner, the optics weren’t great and he would fucking flip.
“Dylan?”
“Sorry, what?”
“I asked you what are you doing tonight?”
“Oh. I’m going out for dinner.”
It wasn't a total lie, but it was still a half truth.
“With who?”
Ah, fuck.
“Taylor.”
There it was. The first lie. One of many I’d have to spin.
“Oh, great," Zack quipped sarcastically. "Taylor the trainwreck.”
His ability to piss me off knew no bounds. “What the hell does that mean?"
Taylor was many things, but a trainwreck wasn't one of them. If anyone was a wreck, it was me.
“She’s loose. Not a great influence on you.”
I seethed with anger at his matter-of-fact tone.Gaslighting motherfucker.Zack wanted to control me, that I was certain. He had opinions on who I was friends with, and over time, had found something wrong with anyone I was close to.
“Dylan, you there?”
“Yep.”
I decided it’s not worth arguing. I just wanted this conversation to be over.
“Okay… Dylan?” Zack’s voice softened.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“Goodnight.”
I hung up quickly before he questioned me on why I wouldn’t say I loved him back.I really should have ended things before this trip.
Taylor was right—I was hoping that I’d pushed Zack far enough away that he would sever the ties, saving me from being the bad one. I’d always been a sharp-edged person, but was I really this cold-hearted?
I wondered what it meant to be able to lie so easily.
Shaking my head, I pushed those thoughts away and went back to planning my outfit.
I’d worry about those dark parts of myself later.
With my hair blow dried straight, it framed my face like a halo of darkness. Listening to Placebo, I slipped on a short black leather skirt, pairing it with a tight plain black tee, the new stupidly expensive, but stupidly luxurious Burberry trench and a pair of black strappy heels. They were old faves and comfortable.
Just like my dinner companion.
