Maria
Something happened?!
Nothing happened. Seriously. Stop being weird.
My stomach twists, remembering the way his breath hitched right before he kissed me.
Tiff
Then why do you sound defensive?
Maria
She SOUNDS defensive? Are you hearing her voice in your head, too?
Tiff
You know what I mean.
Maria
Okay, but what if something happened? Hypothetically.
Tiff
Then, hypothetically, she needs to remember it’s fake.
Maria
Or, hypothetically, it’s not.
I let the phone fall flat on the counter. My heart hammers once, twice. Tiff’s logic has always been my safety net. Maria’s hope has always been her downfall. I’ve spent years balancing somewhere between them, practical enough to protect myself and romantic enough to still want something good. Tonight wrecked that balance.
Maria
You’re being suspiciously quiet.
Tiff
She’s overthinking, like she always does.
Maria
Oh my God, you kissed him, didn’t you?
Tiff
Maria.
Maria
SHE TOTALLY DID.
My throat goes dry. It shouldn’t matter that they guessed, but somehow it does.
It wasn’t like that.
Three dots blink, disappear, then blink again.
