I get the dark variety but let them pile on the whipped cream and peppermint white chocolate shavings.
Jennifer gets the blonde variation.
It matches her, honey blonde hair that’s clean but not styled.
The darkness under her eyes screams stress and sleepless nights.
But that doesn’t distract from how pretty she is.
How poised.
What was Nick thinking? If he cheated on her more than once, what hope do the rest of us have?
I shake my head and try to keep from staring. I’m sure she wants to do the same to me.
But there’s nothing special about me other than my naive need to mean something to someone. To be wanted.
It’s burned me twice now.
How much I wanted to believe he was as obsessed with me as I was with him. It made me an easy target.
Jennifer finally looks at me. In my eyes. And I feel her pain.
She’s exhausted, emotionally…physically.
Does she wonder what I have that she doesn’t? I shake my head.
“I’m nothing special. Just easy to manipulate. I thought I’d grown out of it, but…” I shrug and look away, seeing every little lie he told to keep me from finding out.
How he kept me hidden for so long by making my need to go out and do things together look immature.
And I mistook attention for affection.
I sigh.
Jennifer nods beside me. “Yeah. That’s what happened with the last one, too. Didn’t seem so odd then. But you’re the same age, and I’m…so much older.”
“You know what I think? It’s not either of our faults. He made this situation.” My hands shake as I say it. “And he’s really messed both of us up.”
And it’s true.
Based on how Adam has pushed me, how Greyson has supported me, and how Gabe has seen me, the problem is in the cheating bastard.
Not me.
And it’s not a long limb to go out on to say it’s not her either.
I blink back the tears that threaten to fall, but I’ve expended too many of them already.
If I had the guts, I would give her a reassuring touch, but I don’t. We walk slowly around the outer edge of downtown where it’s a little less crowded. But our silence lingers.
“You grew up here?” Jennifer peers around. What does she see? The charming community or small-minded cheese?
I remember thinking this place lacked the flash and speed I wanted. The opportunities. The people.
But the people in the city…they don’t care about anyone, about me.
They don’t talk about me or watch my every move, sure, but when my life fell apart, I had people here who worried about me.
