I knew she was right, but it was easier said than done. I mean, it wasn’t like I was head over heels in love with Steven or anything. We’d only dated for six months. Sure, I was angry when I caught him cheating, but I would’ve moved on and forgotten all about him. It’s who he was cheating with that I couldn’t let go of: my best friend since my freshman year of high school, Nikki Jacobs.
There were times throughout our friendship when I felt like she was a little jealous of me, but I never expected her to go behind my back and steal my boyfriend. That’s precisely what she did, though. I went to her to vent about the fight Steven and I had about intimacy—or the lack thereof. She told me all thethings a best friend should say. Things like,he doesn’t deserve you, if he’s pressuring you for sex, he isn’t worth it,andyou shouldn’t give it up just because he wants to. You get to choose when it’s right for you. But then what did she do? She ran to him at the first chance she got. She knew he wasn’t getting any and that he’d take anything she offered.
Still, I wish he had the balls to break up with me instead of letting me walk into his dorm room to find Nikki riding him with her large, perfect boobs out, bouncing in front of his face.
Nikki laughed; the shrill sound pulled me from the trance I’d fallen back into. I snapped free in time to see Steven pull her into his lap as he sat in the corner booth of the coffee shop. He smiled at her and then pressed a kiss to her jaw. Then he had the audacity to turn and make eye contact with me.
I rolled my eyes and flipped my book closed. “I can’t study. I’m going to get out of here.”
Lenny looked at her watch. “Yeah, I need to start heading toward class anyway.”
We both stuffed our books into our bags and stood to exit the coffee shop. I tossed my paper cup into the trash as I passed it and pushed open the glass swinging door before stepping out onto the sidewalk. The cool New York air washed over me. It helped cool the burn of anger raging inside me.
Lenny came to a stop beside me on the sidewalk as she pulled on her hat. “Well, I guess I'd better get going. Call me later if you want to try studying again. I’ll make some flash cards so we can quiz each other.”
I pursed my lips and nodded as I waved slightly. She turned to walk one way, and I continued in another direction. I crossed my arms over my chest as I strode down the sidewalk toward my dorm. I liked being in college, working toward my degree in computer science, but I hated living in the dorms. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford my own apartment, so thedorms were my only option. I was naturally introverted. I needed my alone time to recharge, and living in a loud, crowded dorm was no way to do that. Luckily, my roommate was an introvert too, so even when she was there, she was quiet enough that I still felt alone most of the time.
My phone rang, and I pulled it out of my back pocket to find my mom’s face on the screen. I smiled as I pressed theAcceptbutton and moved the phone to my ear.
“Hey, Mom. What’s up?”
“Hi, hun. Nothing much. I was just about to head back into work, so I figured I’d call you and see how things are going since we haven’t been able to talk yet this week.”
“Oh, well, I’m fine. Busy as always. Anything new with you?”
“No, not with me, per se.”
I could tell that something was bothering her just from the tone of her voice. We’d always been close, more like a couple of friends than mother and daughter.
“What does that mean?” I asked, my brows knitting together in curiosity.
“You’ll never guess what I found out,” she said, lowering her voice.
“Who are you with?”
“What?” she asked, back to her normal speaking volume.
I laughed. “Who are you with right now?”
“Nobody. I’m sitting in my car outside the office. Why?”
I grinned. “I was just wondering why you felt like you needed to whisper.”
“Oh, for crying out loud,” she said, annoyed by my razzing her. “Do you wanna know what I found out or not?”
“Yes, of course I do.” I looked both ways before crossing the street.
“Roman has fired the newest nanny, and he’s looking to hire another. Can you believe that? He can’t keep a nanny aroundfor more than a week. He’s spent the last four years marching from woman to woman to care for Sophia, but he won’t let us anywhere near her. Please, tell me how that makes sense.”
Hearing the update on my niece caused a heaviness to fill my body. I had to use all of my strength to keep moving forward.
“Oh,” fell from my lips as I tucked my hair behind my ear.
“I just… I’m beside myself. I don’t know what to do. He stopped taking my calls long ago. I think he blocked my number. Why would he do that, Sasha?”
“I… I don’t know, Mom. Maybe it’s easier for him to keep the past off his mind. I’m sure seeing anyone in our family makes him relive that day all over again. I mean, you remember how distraught he was.” Just talking about the day we lost my sister made the memory seep into my mind.
I was sitting beside my mom in the waiting room of the hospital. My dad was on the other side of her, and Roman, my sister’s husband, was pacing back and forth. The three of us couldn’t do anything but watch him.
