“He broke up with me.”
“Who broke up with you? The guy in the dream?”
“Yes? Maybe? I don’t know.” I blow out a breath. “I couldn’t see his face.”
“In the dream?”
I nod, trying to decide how much to share. “But also in real life.”
“What do you mean?”
“We met through a friend. He’s into a certain type of lifestyle and doesn’t like to show his face, so he always wore a mask around me. It started last summer, and it continued throughout the school year. We didn’t see each other a lot, but we texted and called when we couldn’t meet up because of my class schedule. But I don’t even know his name, or what he looks like.”
“But you were being safe, right?”
“Yes, absolutely. My friend introduced us, so he’s not some rando. And we messed around a little bit, but never went all the way. I wanted to, we just never had the opportunity. So we were safe on that front too.”
“So, you dated an unnamed masked man for a year?” I don’t hear any judgement in her tone. She’s calm, like she’s just recapping the facts.
“Yes.”
“Yeah, definitely not telling your brother any of that. He freaked out for a week when you caught us at his place. He was convinced something was going on with you and Alyx.”
“Gross, no. I love Alyx, but he’s like a brother to me.”
“And this lifestyle he was into, would that involve a certain club Alyx likes to frequent?”
I grab a cucumber and shove it in my mouth to avoid the question as I smile awkwardly.
“And this friend that introduced you is Alyx, isn’t it?”
Shoot, why did I open my mouth? I should’ve just called Ella after they went back to bed.
Bridget reaches out and places a palm on my thigh.
“You look like you could use a friend. I don’t have any sisters, and I tend to ghost the one friend I have, so I’m probably not the best person to dole out advice, but I’m here if you want to talk.”
I grab another cucumber, turning it over in my hand, my eyes fixated on it as I speak. “It just hurts so much. I don’t know why he broke it off. And I don’t want to bug Alyx and put him in the middle of it since he knows him too. It just feels like there’s more to it than he was telling me. We had something, a real connection. I have a hard time trusting men?—”
“Oh, I’ve been there.”
“So you get it. It’s hard when every man I’ve shown an interest in has let me down. Except him. He’s the first person that saw me as more than my issues. He saw me, when I was broken, and he thought I was strong. And I trusted himcompletely. So why would he walk away? I just feel like a stupid foolish child.”
“Emma, you’re a grown woman. A powerful, strong, kick-ass chick. You know what’s best for you, and I’m not here to judge your choices. And I’m certainly not going to tell Ethan that his best friend took his sister to a sex club so she could hook up with a masked man. It is not my place to share. But you’re not the only one with secrets. And you’re not the only one who’s felt broken.” There’s a glint in her eye that tells me there’s something she’s not telling me. And I can’t explain why, but it comforts me knowing that whatever skeletons she has haven’t prevented her from living her life and falling in love.
“So you don’t think I’m a freak?”
“Fuck, no. I think you’re doing the best you can in a shitty situation. And I know what it’s like to feel like everyone’s out to get you. I pushed everyone away for years until your brother saw me for who I really was, broken pieces and all. He helped me put myself back together after a… uh… shitty situation in high school. So, I get what you’re feeling.”
“But your person stayed. He didn’t break up with you,” I cry, a tear falling down my cheek as my voice cracks.
“Believe me when I tell you that Ethan and I have overcome some shit together. It wasn’t easy, and I almost let my baggage keep us from finding our way back to each other. But maybe he just needs some time to figure things out like I did. Maybe this is a ‘see you later’ and not a goodbye.”
I drop my head back against the couch and let out a deep sigh. When I look over, Bridget is grinning at me. “That’s how I feel every day I walk into my office. A deep sigh, an eye roll, and I’m ready to deal with whatever shit men throw at me.”
“I really like you.”
“I really like you too.” She smiles. “Hey, whatever happened with that asshole professor you had?”
