Who was he kidding?

He missed her.

He moved his finger over the ring that hung around his neck, something he did often when he was thinking of her. He knew wearing the ring around his neck was a little masochistic of him. But ever since he found it while cleaning his truck out a week after she had left, he had put it on his chain to remind himself that he never wanted to feel this way again. He never wanted to feel like his world was crashing around him, and there was no one to hold it together. Not his mother, Jakob, not even Grace could help him at this point. The alcohol he consumed every night didn’t even help, but it did numb the pain, and really that’s all he could ask for at this point.

Shea was still so mad. Mad because she didn’t believe him, mad because she wouldn’t answer his calls, his pleads, his flowers, his gifts, nothing! She ignored him, making him feel like he was worthless. He gave her everything. He was totally devoted to her, didn’t cheat, nothing, he loved only her, and this was the way she repaid him? By continuing to break his heart day after day because she wasn’t with him.

Because she didn’t love him anymore.

Shea didn’t know what was more pathetic, the fact that he was alone and couldn’t even f**k a simple female or that he didn’t want anyone but her, because there was no way he could replace her.

No matter how hard he tried.

Their whole breakup still blew his mind. It had been ten weeks since it happened, and still every day he would replay the whole fight, still not understanding how she didn’t realize that he had been played. Wondering why she threw all those things in his face, making shit up, knowing damn well she was wrong for it. He would never be with someone because of their money, hadn’t he told her that so many times before?

Maybe not. Maybe that’s why she left him, because he didn’t tell her enough how much he loved her and only her. How her eyes would light up his day, how her kisses would stun him for weeks. How waking up beside her would start his day off right. How after talking to her, he wore a permanent grin for the rest of the day. How her smile made him believe that life was worth living. How he needed her kisses like he needed to breathe. Maybe he didn’t tell her enough that she was the one.

What had he done wrong?

Why didn’t she believe him?

He had once thought their love could overcome anything. Boy, how wrong he was, he thought, as he crumbled down onto the hardwood of his bedroom, holding onto the ring she was supposed to wear. Holding onto the dream he thought he had with her.

God, he was pathetic.

When Shea opened his eyes, he was staring at a pair of the same shoes she always wore. He followed the legs up, seeing that the shoes didn’t belong to her, but to his sister. A very angry sister. When she reared back and kicked him hard in the stomach, Shea let out a horrid gasp, clutching his stomach since she knocked the wind out of him.

“You stupid piece of shit. How dare you!” she screamed as she reared back to kick him again, but he got a hold of her ankle before she made contact, pushing her back, so she landed on her ass, as he tried to get away.

“Crazy bitch! Who kicks their family!?” Shea shrieked, getting up, and stumbling to the bathroom to promptly puke. As he expelled the contents from the night before, Grace stood above him, screaming at him.

“Who f**king doesn’t call their only sister, their f**king twin, for two months!? Who puts a five year old boy through the pain of missing their favorite person!? Who, Shea!? Oh, yeah! You! So yes, I kick my family when they are f**king stupid!”

“Oh, God, please shut up!” Shea said before continuing to puke, but that didn’t stop Grace.

“Hell no, I won’t shut up! Do you know how I had to hear that you guys had broken up!? Elli. I called her because I couldn’t get a hold of you. She couldn’t even get out that you guys weren’t together anymore, she was crying so hard! What the hell did you do!?”

“I’m going to puke on your shoes if you don’t f**king leave me alone,” he warned, looking up at her as he wiped his mouth. He could see that she was enraged, ready to kill him.

“You puke on my Gucci shoes that Elli got for me and I will kick you in the f**king mouth.”

Maybe he should take his chances puking on them since Elli did get them for her.

“Please, Grace. Leave me the hell alone.”

“No, not until you answer me.”

“If you haven’t noticed, I’m puking my brains out and not really in the mood to talk.”

Grace let out a shrilling laugh, sending chills down his spine.

“Oh, I wonder why that is? Oh, let me guess, because you’re a drunk now! Oh yeah, I had to call Damon to get that information, then Jakob informed me that he has been taking care of you when you need a ride home because you knew better than to call me!”

Shea rolled his eyes, crossing his legs as he sat on the cool tile.

“Where the hell have you been? I have staked out this condo for weeks and you haven’t been here. Why are you here today?”

“I’ve been staying at the house. I was here because I brought someone home last night.”

He would never bring a woman that was not her in the house he had bought for them to live the rest of their lives in.

Never.

“Are you serious? Oh my God, what is wrong with you?”

“I’m heartbroken, Grace. What do you want me to say?”

Grace looked down at him. When the tears started to rush down her cheeks, he had to look away because his own tears threatened to fall. Grace fell onto the floor beside him, wrapping her arms around him, pulling him into her lap like he was Ryan and she was going to make it all better. Even though they both knew she couldn’t.