“They switched me over to the university area and it’s pretty quiet over here. I can pay attention to my surroundings and check on my girl.”
“Your girl? You must be kidding. Are you on drugs? I’m not yourgirl,” I think I slur.
“Have you been drinking, Kaya?”
“Again, I’m at a wedding, moron. Of course I’ve been drinking. How many times do I have to remind you of that?”
“You’re right, that was a dumb thing to say. Listen, I’m calling to own up to my shit and admit that I fucked up and I’m sorry. I want to make things right between us.”
“There is no making things right, Elijah. You have a girlfriend and it isn’t me.”
“She was an old relationship that I couldn’t figure out how to get out of. All I’m guilty of is being bad at breaking up.”
“And lying. And cheating. And lying.” I think I’m repeating myself.
“All I’m asking is that you give me another chance. When you get home, I’d love to take you out to dinner, where we can talk more.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Just think about it, babe.”
For days, I dreamed about this moment. It’s probably why I haven’t told my family the truth about Elijah. In the back of my mind, I was hoping he’d beg me for my forgiveness and we’d get back together without my mom or Kyle ever knowing there was anything to forgive. Yet now that it’s happening, it just sounds like empty words. I don’t want him anymore and I mean it.
“I’ve got to go, dude. You’re killing my vibe.”
I chuckle to myself as I end the call and lay flat on the bench to stare at the island stars. A few weeks ago, I would have never talked to Elijah like that, but it felt good to say exactly what was on my mind and hang up on him.
I’m not exactly sure how I became “that girl” who allowed a guy I was dating to get away with everything that he did. If I look back, there were red flags that he was completely wrong for me during the entire relationship, specifically because there were so many chunks of time that he was missing which he couldn’t reasonably account for. I guess I just wanted to see what I wanted to see and not what was staring me right in the face. That’s a bad habit of mine.
“Do you miss him that much?” A voice from the distance rumbles, startling the hell out of me.
“Dammit! You scared me, Brick.”
“You look like you enjoyed that conversation. Giggling and shit. Do you miss your ex that much that you needed to talk to him in the middle of Kyle’s wedding?”
I stare up at a very agitated Brick, and it only adds to my confusion.
“What is your deal? If you want to call this dumb pact thing we have off, just say that. There’s no need to handle with me kid gloves all day and then try to throw twenty questions at me at the end of the night.”
“Ourdumbpact?”
“Yes,” I say with exasperation, because all of those champagne toasts are really hitting me hard.
“Is that what you want?”
“You’re speaking in riddles. Is what, what I want?” My head starts to spin, so I sit up.
“Do you want to end this dumb pact of ours and go back home to the cheating ass cop?”
“I’m not sure what one has to do with the other?” I say, seriously not understanding why he’s being such a dick right now.
“Look at me, Kaya.”
That’s really hard to do right now, but I try.
“Do you really believe I would fuck my best friend’s sister if I didn’t think there was a possible future for us?”
I’m trying to process his question but it doesn’t compute in my alcohol riddled brain.
