I’m lost in thought all the way home, cataloging reasons Gabi might’ve opted not to respond to the text I sent last night.She was already asleep. She realizes she was wrong and can’t figure out how to apologize. She hates me more than ever…I’m so tied up in my thoughts, I’m nearly on top of her before I notice her sitting by the fountain outside the Towers.
She’s wearing a white maxi dress, and her hair, which she usually wears in natural coils, has been woven into micro braids falling long down her back. She’s shielding her eyes from the sun and looking right at me.
When she stands, adrenaline floods my system, instinct demanding that I veer away because our last few interactions have been miserable, and what if Damon’s here someplace too?
I swerve toward the building’s entrance, picking up my pace.
“Piper, wait,” she calls, hurrying toward me.
I don’t turn around.
Why did she come here?
Why not return my message instead?
“Piper, please!”
She makes a grab for me, her pianist’s fingers wrapping around my wrist.
Heart racing, I look skittishly around, over her shoulder and then mine, sure Damon’s lurking nearby.
I don’t see him.
I don’t see any familiar faces, besides Gabi’s.
“I read your text,” she says. “I’ve read it a lot, actually.”
My mouth is dry, my brain muddled as I stare into her umber eyes.
Her shoulders droop, her expression more diffident than I’ve ever seen it. “I wish you’d told me the truth about that night,” she says quietly. “I wish you’d told me what Damon did.”
I push a question into the space between us. “Would it havemattered?”
She considers, reaching up to brush a braid away from her face. “I don’t know.”
Her candor surprises me. She could’ve said yes, portrayed herself in a favorable light, especially considering what I pulled during spring break. She could absolve herself of accountability and point at my past behavior. Instead, she says something truthful, unflattering butreal, and god, I love her.
“I broke up with him last night. What he did…I’m sick over it, Piper. I’m so sorry. That’s what I came here to say. I can’t imagine what this summer’s been like for you. Just awful, probably.” Her eyes are bright with tears, but she holds my gaze. “I’m sorry about how I treated you at Clementine’s, and about telling Tati what Ithoughthappened that day at Publix. And I’m so, so sorry for what happened at my house… I should’ve asked for your side of the story. I should’ve seen him for who he is. I should’ve made sure you were okay. I should’ve known, Piper. I should’ve known you’d never betray me that way.”
I slip my sunglasses from my face and push them onto hers, because she’s crying for real now. I can’t believe she’s here, admitting she was wrong, apologizing. It’s everything I’ve hoped for all summer long.
“I’m glad you came,” I tell her. “And I’m glad you’re done with Damon. I can’t stand the thought of him hurting you too.”
“He won’t,” she says, shaking her head. “I blocked his number, blocked him on socials. My parents know he’s not welcome at our house anymore. I’ll never speak to him again.”
We stand there, Gabi and me.
I’m not sure where to go from here.
She must not be either, because she says, “So…what now?”
“I don’t know.”
“I miss you, Piper.”
I hesitate, not sure if I’m ready to dive into the open waters of honesty yet. But I can’t put up a front—not with Gabi. “I miss you too.”
Her face is shadowed with worry. “Why do I feel like you’re going to tack abutonto the end of that statement?”
