Page 11 of Unbreakable

“I know.”

“But I’m also starting to think that maybe you’re actually changing and I don’t like that because it’s harder to hate you when you’re actually trying.” I should tell him how bad it got for me, should tell him it was because of him and his friends. Make him feel like crap about it.

He leans back in his chair, studying me. “So what does that mean?”

“I don’t know yet. It means… I’m not ready to completely shut you out. But I’m also not ready to be friends. We’re somewhere in between.”

“I can work with somewhere in between.” He sounds almost relieved about it.

“Can you? Because I need you to understand that this doesn’t erase sophomore year. This doesn’t mean I suddenly trust you. This just means I’m willing to see if maybe you’re actually becoming someone different.”

“I understand.”

“And if I catch you being the old Tyler, if I see you being complicit in toxicity again, I’m done. No second chances after this one.”

“And I won’t.” He sounds happy about this, and the smile on his lips makes me feel happy, and I hate that I feel like that.

“Why did you sit down?” he asks.

“Because Lennox is right, and I hate when she’s right. Because you’ve been genuinely trying. Because…” I trail off, not wanting to admit the last part.

“Because?”

“Because I’m tired of carrying this anger around. It’s exhausting.” I sigh because hating someone does take a lot of energy, energy I could be using on other things.

“That doesn’t mean you have to forgive me.”

“I know. But maybe I can stop hating you. Maybe I can let you prove that you’re actually different. Maybe I can…” I don’t finish the sentence, but we both know what I was going to say.

Maybe I can let myself like you.

He doesn’t push it. Just nods and says, “Thank you. That’s more than I deserve.”

“Don’t thank me yet. You still have to actually prove it.”

“I will.”

I look at him for a moment, seeing the boy I had a crush on the first time I saw him. The first time I saw him he was laughing, and that’s all I needed to see how handsome he was. I had a crush on him so big, that it hit me a lot harder when he was an asshole.

Chapter 6

Cassie

Working with Tyler at the literary magazine becomes a whole new kind of torture.

Not because he’s bad at it, he’s actually excellent at editing, thoughtful with feedback, respectful of writers’ voices. But because working closely with him means seeing him every week, and having extended conversations about craft and storytelling.

“You’re staring,” he says while we’re reviewing submissions.

“I’m not.” I look away quickly, not wanting to make it obvious because I was.

“You are. At my mouth, specifically.” Tyler smiles, and I shake my head.

I feel heat flood my face. “I was thinking about something.”

“About my mouth?”

“No. About… something else.” I reply quickly, but I'm not convinced with my tone.