Something in her eyes shifted. "Both of us."
She was lying.I could see it in her eyes. The only thing I didn't know was what she truly meant.This so-called break…was this better for me?
Or for her?
When I said nothing, she added, "I just mean…it's not really fair to dragyoualong for the ride."
The worddraghit a nerve. "You're not dragging me anywhere."
If she heard, she gave no sign, because she was already saying, "It's not you. It's me. Totally."
My jaw almost hit the floor.
Well, that was a first.
75
Back to Counting
Tessa
Four days.This time, I didn't bother denying I was counting.
Did I regret what I'd said?
I couldn't, because I had meant it.
It hurt like crazy, but I had to be fair.If Ryder had askedmeto sneak around like his private booty call, I knew exactly how I'd feel.
Completely awful.
And I would rather be miserable myself than do something like that to anyone, especially someone I cared about.
Was I a fool?
Probably.
Desperate to hang on, I had asked for a little break, not a breakup. But let's be real here. There was no way on Earth that someone like Ryder would wait around for someone like me. It wasn't a matter of self-esteem. It was a matter of options.
Hehad billions.
And me? I was just a bad barista with a messy past.
The only upside was that I wasn't completely alone at the house. True, Maisie had been spending lots of time away – no doubt, with Griff. But when she was around, I leaned into it, hoping she was becomingmyfriend, and not only my sister's.
I liked sharing things with her – especially girl talk over those tiny bottles of booze.
Now, sitting with Maisie on the sofa, I listened while she told me about trouble at the bike shop – or more accurately trouble with her ex.
Apparently, the ex and his fiancée were becoming a real menace, popping into the shop and making things weird for Maisie and Griff.
On the upside, there were no actual brawls, but itdidsound pretty intense. In fact, it had gottensoweird that today, a customer who'd witnessed the weirdness had made some crack about key parties, as if those were still a thing.
While sipping from a tiny bottle, Maisie asked, "So how exactly do they work?"
Key parties?I hesitated. "You seriously don't know?"
"Well, it's not like I've ever been to one." She took a big swig from her tiny bottle. "Have you?"
