***
That night, Dad takes Amy out for a fancy steak dinner. Actually, I suspect Amy’s taking Dad out, because Dad is many things, but he’s not a planner of Big Romantic Gestures.
I make dinner for me and Jasmine: oven-baked popcorn chicken and shells and cheese. Jasmine’s not allowed to help with pastaafter the time she added the saucebeforedraining the water, and what was supposed to be fettuccine Alfredo turned into some sort of soup.
She sits at the table, looking glum. This is the first Valentine’s Day I can remember where she’s been single. Which means tonight is probably not the best night to broach the subject of Liam.
But I can’t keep putting it off. We can’t keep making out in parked cars and catwalk ladders.
We line our bowls with popcorn chicken before ladling in shells, so the chicken gets all cheesy and delicious, and sit at the table. It’s quiet at first, as we eat and I work up my courage.
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” I say.
“Sure. But first, can you do Liam’s list?”
“Huh? During dinner?”
“It’s Valentine’s Day.” She stabs her fork into her bowl. “Please?”
So much for talking to her.
I run up to my room and come back with my notebook. I set it carefully aside—don’t want to get cheese on it—and recite Liam’s list again.
Every word feels like a betrayal.
I can’t keep doing this.
But when I finish, Jasmine seems bolstered by it.
“Thanks,” she says. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’ll have to figure it out. You’re the one moving to Denver,” I say before I can stop myself.
Jasmine at least has the decency to look a little forlorn as she chews on a chunk of chicken.
I grab my water and take a big glug.
“I need to get away,” she finally says. “From who I’ve been in high school. Do you get that?”
I shake my head. She’s not going to magically change just because she graduates.
“I’ve spent the last four years getting my heart broken over and over. I mean, your binder’s proof of that.”
“You’re more than your heartbreaks,” I tell her.
“Maybe,” she says. “But right now it doesn’t feel like it. Especially Liam. I mean, we didn’t even have a fight or anything. He just dumped me out of nowhere.”
“It’s been months, Jasmine.”
“I didn’t know my heartbreak was supposed to be on a schedule.”
“It’s not, but...” I swallow. “It’s really hard on me too. He’s my friend, Jasmine.”
“I know.” She sighs. “But I’m not ready to forgive him. All right?”
It’s not all right.
What if she’s never ready to forgive?
