“Wait,” she said suddenly, “you mentioned Jeremy?”
I didn’t answer. The barista slid the cup across without asking, and I took it with a tight smile. If I kept walking, I could outrun the entire conversation.
“Yeah,” Ledger said, catching up beside me, “what happened to him?”
“Nothing happened. He’s an enigma.”
“Austin heard from him?” Ledger pressed.
Auburn shook her head. “No. I hope he doesn’t, honestly. That’d be hard for his sobriety. They were party buddies, the two of them.”
She didn’t say it with judgment. It was a known thing. Jeremy and Austin burned hard and fast. The kind of friendship that felt invincible until it blew up.
I nodded slowly, wrapping my hands around the warm cup.
Jeremy and I never fucked. Not alone, anyway, but we were both with Luna. Together.
We fuckedhertogether. The three of us had been... more than a fling. Though it wasn’t traditional, or tidy, it wasreal. For me, at least.
I loved Jeremy.
Not like I love Ledger. Not in that uncomplicated, ride-or-die, bullshit-banter kind of way.
I loved Jeremy in a way that was deeper than friendship. More intimate. Quietly intense. He had a darkness I understood.
“I loved him, not because of Luna. Not because we shared her. There was something else... I understood him. Icaredfor him.”
The words hung there, heavier than I expected. Ledger didn’t rush to fill the silence. He just stepped forward and pulled me into a hug.
After a beat, he said quietly, “You’re still here, man, and that means you’ve still got time.”
I nodded against his shoulder, swallowing hard.
When I pulled back, I leaned down to hug Auburn, wrapping one arm around her as she held onto the stroller.
“Please call her,” she whispered. “The internet lies, Dirks. You know that better than anyone.”
I shook my head gently, a half smile tugging at my lips. “Love you, Aubs.”
She squeezed my hand.
“Bye, Evie girl,” I said, crouching down to grab a cherry from the little plastic carton in her lap.
She whined immediately, hands flailing dramatically.
I laughed. “You’ve got like ten in there, don’t be greedy.”
Her face scrunched into the perfect little pout, and I ruffled her hair before heading toward my car, coffee in one hand, tulips tucked safely in my stupid emotional support wicker basket.
Even with the sun beating down and the market fading behind me, Auburn’s voice echoed in my head.
Call her.
3
dirks
I laid in bed. That’s all I did. Even though Alex had texted, and Ledger called to make sure I got home from the market okay... I stayed there.
