“She’s right, you don’t. You’re venting and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Vi remarks. “Honestly, you’re taking it better than I would. I would have crashed out.”
Penelope’s face brightens and she giggles.
I wish I had the ability to make that happen. To ease someone’s pain or discomfort instead of adding more to it. I wonder if my mom would have loved me if I had been different.
I take a sip of my water, then drop my hands to my lap to stop myself from fidgeting with my rings.
“This is going to sound very cliché, but you know how that saying goes. To get over someone you have to get under somebody else,” Vienna suggests mischievously.
“I’ve tried that and it hasn’t worked. All the guys make me think of him and then I miss him and I cycle back to the what-ifs and what could I have done to make us work.”
“This might not work but have you tried messing around with someone that doesn’t look like him? I just ask because I know from experience, and if you’re trying to rebound with someone that looks like him or acts like him, you’ll never be able to let go.”
Granted, it didn’t take much for me to get over Bryson, but I can tell it’s really weighing hard on Pen.
“It might not work, but maybe don’t listen to me because I’ve only ever had one boyfriend and that didn’t end well. And?—”
“No, you’re right. I didn’t even think about it like that, but I realize now I have been trying to replace him with someone like him.” She meekly smiles, cheeks staining a light pink. “I’m pathetic, aren’t I?”
“No, you’re not,” I sternly say. “If anyone’s pathetic, it’s them. Not you.”
She stares at me like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. “Thanks for listening to me. I was going crazy with this.”
“Don’t thank us. We’re here for you. Now…” Vienna folds her arms on the table, staring at her with a look of determination. “Who’s your ex and what does he look like so we can definitely stay away from anyone looking like him.”
Pen pulls out her phone and shows us the picture of her ex.
Luke Rodriguez, junior, point guard for MCU’s basketball team.
Vi nods repeatedly and slowly to herself, staring long and hard at the small screen like she’s computing and analyzing data. Then she sits up, smiling from ear to ear as if a lightbulb went off in her head.
“You and Angel have great chemistry.” She wiggles her brows.
I might’ve been slightly drunk last week, but I definitely felt it too.
Pen’s face pinches with aversion. “Now that sounds cliché and so wrong. He’s Danny’s best friend and I practically grew up with him. I know everything about Angel, and nothing about it is good. Next.”
“So, you’ve really never thought about it? Not to instigate anything but Angel’s hot.”
“No, I’ve never thought about it because I don’t see him like that.”
“You didn’t answer me.” Vienna smirks.
“Okay…yeah, he’s hot but like I said we grew up together and he’s Danny’s best friend. And we’re kind of friends. I don’t want to make anything weird between us. And even if I wanted to, which I don’t, he wouldn’t be on board. Plus, do you know about his reputation? Yeah, no thanks. Next.”
Vienna blows a raspberry. “You have any suggestions, Josie?”
“My judgment is poor at best so you don’t want to listen to me.”
“I highly doubt that,” Pen says as the waitress brings our food. “But I trust your judgment either way.”
“Oh.” I tuck my hair behind my ear.
“I have swim practice and will be working at the aquarium for a little tomorrow, but I’m free after six. We could meet up and?—”
“I can’t. I have a lesson tomorrow.”
“I thought you only did those on Saturday?” Pen asks as she squeezes lime juice on her shrimp tacos.
