“Look in the mirror and you’ll see how ridiculous that question is,” she says, moving into my room and taking a seat on the edge of the bed. “Colson is going to drop dead.”
The thought of him loving what he sees causes a blush to tint my cheeks.
“I sort of wish I was invited now,” Ev complains.
I laugh. “Why?”
She shrugs. “Just to have a reason to dress up.” Her cheery expression falls, and she adds, “Did I tell you?”
I move away from the mirror to sit on my vanity bench across from her. “Tell me what?”
“I’m breaking up with Tristan.”
My eyes nearly bug out of my head.
Crap.
Things have been rough with them lately, but Everleigh isn’t the kind of person who just gives up. If anyone was ending things, I would’ve seen it coming from him.
But this?
This tells me she’s thought their relationship through, and you know what? Good for her. She deserves someone who will be in her corner rather than everyone else’s.
“Are you okay?”
She picks at the thread on my comforter, her head down with a sad smile ghosting her lips. “I’ve wished for things to be different so many times, Vi. But what good does it do me if nothing ever changes?”
She has a point.
“I deserve more than what he’s giving, especially with the amount of love I have for him. It hurts, all of it does, but I’ve had time to internalize my decision and accept it for what it is. I wantsomeone who will be there for me, who putsmefirst. Who looks at his buddies, then looks at me, and doesn’t even need to look back at them. You know?”
“Oh, I absolutely do. Remember Webber?”
She chuckles, that sad smile growing into a more carefree grin.
“Have you told him yet?”
“Not yet but soon.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” I promise.
She looks at me then and before I see it coming, she states, “About what Sylvia said before…”
I wave a hand at her, my stomach tightening at the mere thought of our roommate. None of us have mentioned that day, and maybe that’s part of the problem, but it’s not something Everleigh has to worry about. Sylvia’s words are her own, whether she tried speaking for everyone or not.
“Don’t worry about it,” I tell her. “It’s not the first time she’s been insensitive. I’m sure it won’t be the last.”
“Well, that’s the thing. We haven’t been thinking about what’s been going on with you. Wait a second…that’s not how I wanted that to sound.”
“It’s okay, Ev.”
“No, listen. Things have been different, yes, but the rest of us aren’t talking behind your back. We’ve all been busy with our own things. And regardless how Sylvia feels about it, I’ve always felt this way: if there’s something you wanted to share with me, you’d have come to me and told me. I’m not angry at you if you don’t because I also understand that I don’t come to you with every little detail of my life. That and you seem to be happier with Colson around.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
That sad smile graces her lips again. “For what it’s worth, you’re not the only person who Sylvia has been mean toward.She’s been very…testy since the semester started. I’ve spent more time with Tristan because I love him and wanted to, but also because I don’t always want to be around someone who can’t handle themselves. I’m empathetic toward her going through something if that’s what this is, but I don’t want to be torn down for her to feel better about herself.”
I nod, understanding completely.
