I didn’t have to ask her who she was referring to.I glanced at her out of the corner of my eyes.“Are you into him?”
She fought the smile tugging at the corners of her lips.“No.But he’s entertaining too.”
“You have your fun, girl.”
“I will.He shows up with Elijah every once in a while.”
“Who’s that?”
“Hazel’s boyfriend.”She pointed into the other room, where Hazel stood next to a man with wavy chestnut-colored hair.I didn’t know what was more shocking, how hot he was or how hot Hazel was.She used to be the quintessential nerdy college student, frizzy ponytail and all.But as she grinned up at her boyfriend, she looked confident and empowered.
“Good for her,” I said.
“Yeah, he’s great.Total looker.But he’s the lucky one.Hazel’s the best.”
Appreciation filled my chest as I accepted the drink Nora held out to me.I used it to gesture between us.“You and me?We’re gonna be friends.”
She rewarded me with a completely sincere smile.“We are.”
Noise carried through the closed kitchen door where the group had been smoking on the back porch, it quickly grew louder and moved closer.Excited cries and laughter filtered into the room, drawing attention before the door had even opened.
“Here comes drama.”She lifted her cup to her lips and took a big drink just as the door flung open.
A woman who looked a lot like Nora stepped through with a crowd behind her.But where Nora wore an old hoodie and her curly hair in a bun this woman wore a curated outfit of a flowy long skirt and cropped Fall Out Boy T-shirt under a puffy blue coat that ended at her waist.Her makeup was immaculate and her hair was shiny and straight past her shoulders.
“It is way too quiet in here!”she exclaimed.
From the living room people cried out, “Olivia!”
In the chaos, I snatched my drink and snuck out of the back door.There was a lone mercury light buzzing from high up on the house and a sheet of stars in a dark blue sky.The cold pressed against me, shutting down the persistence of my mind to wail and angst.For just a moment, I closed my eyes and let the relief and quiet sink in.
I considered my options and whether it was time to call it a night already.My gut reaction was to move past the emotional turmoil and stay.But the more I considered it, the less I felt that I had the energy for it.
Then the door I had just exited opened and closed, revealing Remi.
A new surge of energy burned through me riding on outrage.
The cold was a distant memory.
I came to stand at my full height.
“What the flying fuck, Remi?”I demanded.“Why are you out here?Did you follow me?What do you want?”
“I just want to talk.”Drenched in light, every detail of his face was completely visible.
“About what, exactly?What could we have to talk about?”I gestured between our chests.“Whatever this weird relationship we have, this whole thing, let’s just be done with it.Let’s go back to never speaking.We don’t even have to wave hello to each other.I will be leaving soon, hopefully, and we can just put this in the past withallof the rest of it.”
“I don’t want that.”
“I am done, Remi.”My voice broke as I said his name, but I was too far gone to be embarrassed by it.“I amdisgustedwith how I have acted, and with you, and how you are making me feel.That you can affect my feelings at all.I amdisgustedwith myself.”
He sighed, running a hand down his face.
I clenched my jaw fighting back my tears.“Aren’t we divorced?Isn’t this supposed to be over with?You’re not supposed to be able to hurt me, anymore.”
His chest sank like all the air had been knocked out of him.A crease dug deeply between his eyebrows as a muscle flexed in his jaw.
“Why did you come out here to saynothing?”I asked.“Go back away.We’ll pretend like this is the old days—you give me the silent treatment, and I’ll pretend like it doesn’t bother me.”
