The soccer clinics had finished, which meant it was one month until the season started and summer ended. Normally, this time of summer meant barbeques and good times, with the anticipation of the next year. I was happier than I’d been in years, smiling more, but the countdown was on and ever present in my mind. Ever since the night at the hotel, I knew I was screwed.
I was in love with Dean Romano. A foolish, break-my-heart-forever kind of love, and it was only going to get worse. I could end it now to save myself the heartbreak later, but doing so would only hurt Dean. He’d been having so much fun with the list, and after hearing what he went through? I couldn’t be the one to stop him enjoying life again. That’d be cruel.
Plus, why would I walk away from the best sex of my life? Maybe I was supposed to miss out on so many things in high school to experience them with Dean right now. Because regardless ofwhythis playbook happened, I would forever be grateful for this.
I stared at the ends of my hair a few days later, sighing as my phone went off.
Ale: GIRLS. We are in for the lake house trip.
Callum: I love that I’m considered one of the girls.
Ale: And we love you for letting us do the lake house for the Fourth!
Mally: DAMN IT. I can’t! Fuck. I’m jealous
Vee: You’re always there in spirit.
Callum: Confirmed: Dean, me, Oliver, Ale, Vee, Mack, Lo, and Luca
I tensed. Lo and Luca were going? She hadn’t told me. Was that on purpose? We had to talk about it. I felt the wedge every time she walked into the room. We were planning on leaving right away in the morning. My bag was already packed, my Polaroid and list in tow, but my thoughts were dirty and all about Dean. Could we really sneak away and do all the things with Lo there?
Gah.
The front door to our place opened, and I almost jumped out of my chair. I finished doing another video series on healthy fats and proteins to eat if you did a lot of cardio, but I wasn’t expecting Lo home.
“Hey, you,” she said, smiling. “Guess what I got?”
“Uh, a viral hit?”
“No, but that would be great.” She fluffed her hair and set a large paper bag on the table next to my laptop. “All the stuff for s’mores. I convinced Luca to move our trip with his grandma until after the Fourth. I can’t miss a night on a lake with my besties.”
“You’re coming?”
“Hell yeah.” She shimmied and pulled out a bottle of Fireball. “This is from me to you, for disappearing on you most of the summer. I hate that this internship and workouts andLuca are taking my time when we wanted to live together all these years.”
“Lo, that’s awesome.” I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes. I was the worst friend to feel disappointment instead of excitement. And it was because of Dean.
“You’re a shit liar.” She plopped down next to me in her cute work blazer and jeans. “You know I love you, right? And that you’re a grown ass adult who can make your own choices?”
My throat tightened. “I’m in love with your brother,” I blurted, not even trying to ease into this conversation. It boiled over, spilling out like water from of a dam, and I couldn’t stop it. “I have been for years, but now it’s like, real. This list—him and I hanging out… I’m in love with him, but I know it’s a summer thing. We both agreed to that, and we’ll end it when our seasons start because we have enough to worry about, and I’m so sorry this happened. I’d never use you to get to him, that was never my plan, and if you want to hate me, I deserve it because I hid this from you.”
Lorelei Romano smiled after my meltdown. My best friend could be unpredictable at times, but this wasn’t one of them. She chuckled and grabbed my hand. With a serious expression, she said, “I’ve always known.”
“Wait.” I shook my head. “Known what?”
“That you had a crush on my brother. It was painfully obvious, but I never once thought our friendship involved him. If that is one of your worries, then you can yeet that right into the sun.”
“Oh.”
“You are two of my favorite people, so I understand why you’d be into each other. My only concern is one of you getting hurt. That truly is it.” She patted my hand and let go. “Thankyou for coming clean. I wanted you to tell me on your own, without probing.”
“Dean doesn’t know how I feel.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I won’t share that if you’re worried.”
“Am I crazy? I know it’s gonna hurt so badly when we walk away, but this has been the absolute best.” I pinched my nose. “I can’t stop it. Not when I’m having so much fun, and he’s so wonderful, and he’s happy too.”
“When Luca and I agreed to one night only, it was us fooling ourselves. But he needed to come to terms with changing his life. I’m not sure what you two talked about or agreed on, but you can always renegotiate.” She smirked, her cheeks blushing.
