When Tabitha leaves, I take her spot. “So. How’s it going so far?”
“What do you mean?”
“Being friends with the girls.” I grin.
“Ah.” He nods, looking away. “They’re... interesting.”
“Yeah?”
“Tabitha is chill. Easy to talk to. Val, on the other hand, she’s a lot.”
“Oh yeah,” I chuckle. “But we love her.”
“She grows on you.” He shrugs. “I feel bad for Lexie.”
“Why?”
“Because that poor girl looks like she should have aged ten years with how much she has to keep Val on a leash.”
That has me snorting. “You’d think, but Lexie loves it. Val is her best friend, like her sister. She’s the only one who can really handle our girl and keep everyone out of jail.”
“Why isn’t Ellie here? Tabitha said she’s part of your friend group.”
“She is. Parties aren’t really Ellie’s thing these days, and I don’t blame her. She’s got two kids now.”
“Two?” Blake looks surprised. “How old is she?”
“Twenty-three. She had Lilly fresh out of high school, and Bennett is just a few months old.”
“Whoa. I can’t imagine having kids this young.”
“Yeah, but she’s an amazing mom. And she’s got a great support system.”
“Are the rumors true?” Blake asks, licking his lips. “About Ellie and what happened to her?”
The thought of my best friend and all the pain she went through has my heart hurting. “Yeah,” I rasp, looking away. “But she’s come out stronger than ever. She’s a badass.”
“Sounds like it. I’m glad he’s in jail,” Blake mumbles.
“Me too.”
We’re quiet for a moment before he speaks again. “I thought you said you were gay.”
My eyes flick over to his. “I am.”
“Then why did Val say you used to date Ellie?”
I grin, shaking my head. “Nothing like that. When Ellie first got here, she had a hard time. People were assholes. I pretended to be her boyfriend so they would lay off. It worked for the most part. Until her now boyfriend, Brody, outed me to the school.”
“What the fuck?” Blake sounds outraged. It’s pretty cute. “And she’s with him?”
“It’s a long, complicated past. He’s a good guy, I swear. Just had a shitty home life. They all did in some way. Not my story to tell, but trust me when I say, everything is good. I wouldn’t sit by and let my best friend be with them if they truly were bad people.”
“Still,” Blake mutters, looking away. “Doesn’t give you the right to treat people badly. If anything, it should make you want to be the opposite.”
“In an ideal world, yes. But sadly, sometimes, hurt people hurt people. No, it doesn’t make it right, but we never know what someone is going through.”
He doesn’t say anything for a long time, and I fear I’ve upset him. “I’m going to find the bathroom,” he says, getting to his feet.
