I pulled a blanket over my lap, gripping onto it for dear life. “What if that person had a chance and ruined it?”
“Then you can marry me, and we’ll live happily ever after. Forget boys.” She paused for a moment. “Or you can consider forgiving that person.”
“You think I should forgive Landon?”
Macey had never hid her opinions of Landon. Back in high school, she was our top supporter. Head of the Kira and Landon fan club. She nominated us for prom queen and king and created an entire campaign to get support from voters at school.Her obsession may have been over the top, but I appreciated the gesture.
After Landon and I broke up, she was the first to volunteer to go find him and kill him. While she stood by me and fully supported me, I knew she was also left reeling from the incident. She, like me, never thought that Landon would tell me I deserved better, then move out of town the next week.
She’d never particularly liked any of the guys I’d dated since Landon, claiming they weren’t “good enough.” Not entirely inaccurate, but if I continually thought that every guy wasn’t good enough, I would probably be single forever.
“That’s not my decision to make, and I think you have the right to be angry at him forever. I know I’m still pissed at him. But he seems eager to support you and show you he’s changed.”
The tears on my cheeks dried as I mulled over her words. I wanted to forgive Landon as I didn’t want to hold onto negative feelings any longer. But I felt like there were a few more things I needed to address before I could make that step.
“This calls for ice cream and a nap.” Macey pulled me into the kitchen, giving my mind a much-deserved break. “No more boy talk unless it’s about Ben and Jerry.”
I woke a few hours later, still ridiculously full from the pint of ice cream I crushed. Pushing my comforter away, I forced my body to sit up. With a touch to my cheek, I realized I didn’t even take my tear-stained makeup off before taking a nap.
Ever since Landon came back, my routine had been off. I’d lost my rhythm, and it made me unsteady. Impulsive. I needed to get back to my beloved routine.
Starting with washing my face.
Once I showered and felt a little bit like a human again, Ipadded toward the kitchen, where two familiar voices were reviewing flashcards over dinner.
“Hey, guys.” I reached for the teapot I kept on the stove. I didn’t think there was any room left in my stomach for dinner.
“Park-y!” Noah, my roommate’s boyfriend, called from the small dining table. “How are you?”
Macey flashed her eyes at him, and his immediately drooped back to his notecards. Although he was a part-time social media influencer, he spent most of his time studying. He was only a few classes away from finishing his architecture degree.
Every time I saw him, he called me a new iteration of my last name. This one was better than Park-lona, so I let it slide.
“I’ll be better after tea,” I said, adding some leaves to a mug.
Macey pushed around the rice on her plate. “Feeling better?”
I nodded. “Ice cream and naps are the cure for anything.”
“Except a healthy dinner,” said Noah jokingly.
I glared at him. “Don’t you have class?”
“Ha-ha. No. But I do have a burning desire for a brownie, so we should get going soon, Scribbles.”
Macey checked the watch on her wrist. “I’ll never say no to that. Kira, do you want to join us for a trip to The Velvet Whisk?”
The kettle hissed softly on the stovetop, building toward a whistle, and I poured it into my mug. “No, thanks.”
“We’ll bring you back something,” Macey assured me.
As they finished their plates, I took a small sip of tea. My mother always said I was part dragon because I could withstand hot liquids and spicy food better than anyone. “You guys are the best.”
Macey and Noah weren’t doing anything noteworthy, just leaning toward each other, sharing space the way only couples seem to know how. Noah traced lazy circles on the back of Macey’s hand with his thumb. Her eyes crinkled when shesmiled down at him, leaning in just enough so that their shoulders brushed.
To be clear, I wasn’t bitter. I was happy for Macey. She deserved someone like Noah. Someone steady, successful, and who challenged her.
But watching them, I couldn’t help the knot that formed in my chest, the aching sense of longing that crept in. It was soeasyfor them. Easy to touch. Easy to love.
