Just because he regrets what happened between us and clearly wants to make sure that it never happens again does not give him the right to treat me like that.
My thumb hovers over the screen as I pull up my email, rereading it again.
From: [email protected]
Subject: Per our conversation
COACH Hawthorne,
Seeing as how you didn’t give me the chance to respond to your accusation, I’d like to say that you’re rude.
And quite frankly, you have zero privilege to speak on the things that you did. NOR the right.
Have the night you DESERVE.
P.S Just in case you didn’t get it– have a TERRIBLE night. :)
I smirk, bringing my hand up to stifle the giggle.
Okay, so, sure, it reads a tad bit immature and petty, but you know what? It’smuchbetter than the alternative of what I wanted to say, and… it got my point across. And still way more professional than he treated me.
I feel better already.
Mission accomplished.
“Mais,” Lennon groans as we make our way out to the lounge to wait for Saint and Bennett. “What is up with you? You were on your phone the entire game.”
A pang of guilt tugs in my stomach, but I push it down. I know that as badly as I want to spill all of the details, every last dirty one of them, to my best friend… I can’t. No matter how much it sucks.
But I have to keep this a secret. Even when the person in question makes me want to throttle him for the way he’s behaving. But I can’t be responsible for him potentially losing his job, not when we didn’t know we were crossing a line at the time.
It’s not his fault. Just an unfortunate coincidence.
I don’t think that Lennon would tell anyone. I trust her with everything, but I also don’t want to put her in an uncomfortablesituation by asking her to keep it from Saint. While I trust Lennon explicitly, Saint, I’m not sure just yet.
Not with something like this.
“Sorry, Len. I was just trying to check my email because I’m waiting on an email to come through from the executive director of the program.” I offer her a smile, slipping my arm around her shoulders and pulling her into my side. She drops her head onto my shoulder. “I’m sorry. It was crappy of me to come tonight and not be present. You deserve my full attention, and you have it. Swear.”
“It’s fiiiine,” she singsongs, lifting her head to look at me. “You don’t need to apologize. I just want to make sure that everything’s okay withyou.”
My brows knit together. “Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be?”
She shrugs. “I dunno. I just know it’s so weird that we’re not living together anymore, and we’ve spent our whole lives basically being inseparable, and I feel like this terrible friend who gets a boyfriend and then isn’t around anymore, an?—”
“Len,” I say as I place my fingers over her lips. “Babe. You are not a terrible friend. I miss you, duh, obviously, and I admit that I miss our girls’ nights and being able to raid your closet for clothes and eating a pint of ice cream together on our couch while we talk about our days. Of course I miss that, but no matter where we are in life, we’re always going to have each other. Okay?”
Lennon nods, and her eyes shine with moisture, so I throw my arms around her neck and pull her in for a hug, murmuring, “You’re never getting rid of me. You’re just living your life. You’re happy, and thriving, and experiencing so many things for the first time, just as you should. I want you to have all of that and more, and the last thing you need to be doing is worrying about me.”
She sniffles, and I wrap her tighter in my arms. This is my ride-or-die girl, my bestie, the one who has been through every phase of my life, every season. She’s never wavered. She’s weathered every storm.
“I love you, Mais.”
Emotion tears at my throat, making it hard to talk, but I swallow it down.
“Love you more, Len.”
