“Yeah, I’m pretty into her. I’ll get over it. Don’t really have a choice.” Aidan looked over at his buddy as he gave him a firm pat on theshoulder.
“I amsorry.”
“Thanks,man.”
Just then, the top of Talia appeared as she rode up theescalator.
“Are you boys ready to Star Wars?” she said, bobbing her head to the left and right. She walked right into Matt’s arms and gave him a quick hug then moved over toAidan.
“Aidan got dumped. We gotta cheer himup.”
“Oh no!” Talia said as she stepped back. “Are strip clubs open on Christmasday?”
“I’m not going to a strip club with you!” Mattsaid.
“Who said you were invited?” Talia joked. “Come on, Aidan. All the candy and popcorn you can handle, on us.” She looped her arm through his and tugged him toward the theater entrance. He didn’t feel any better about losing Shae as they settled in to watch the interplanetary battle between good and evil, but at least he wasn’t alone. He just hoped that, in time, he’d get over Shae and moveon.
?
Shae had survived Christmas day, just barely. Her parents’ house was packed with her brothers and their wives and children, cousins and their children, aunts and uncles, including Daniel and Keira and her parents. She hadn’t told Keira what happened with Aidan. After she stopped weeping in Daniel’s office, she’d cleaned herself up and came up with the pathetic excuse that she had to head out to help her mom get a jump on desserts. Keira knew something was wrong, but she didn’tpress.
That morning she’d texted asking Keira not to breathe a word about Aidan in front of her parents. She’d explain later. Keira understood as was evident by the zipped lip emoji she’d sent back. Shae made it through the opening of a ton of presents, two and a half meals and an impromptu kitchen dance party. Now she was sprawled out on her childhood bed, hiding from the noise downstairs. She stared at the plastic stars on the ceiling that had stopped glowing in the dark yearsago.
She didn’t make a sound, but fat tears wouldn’t stop running down the sides of herface.
“Shae?” Keira’s voice was accompanied by a knock on the door. “It’s justme.”
“Yeah, come on in.” She cleared her throat, then sat up as Keira cracked open the door. She came inside and started looking around in awe. The room was a bit of a late nineties time capsule. “What’s going ondownstairs?”
“Same old. Our dads are teaching Daniel how to playSpades.”
“Ohgod.”
“Yeah it’s gonna be a mess. I love that your room is exactly the same. My mom keeps telling me to come pick up mycrap.”
“Well duh, she needs a karaokeroom.”
Keira laughed and made herself comfortable at the foot of the bed. She grabbed an old stuffed panda of Shae’s and pulled it into her lap. “Do you want to talk aboutit?”
She looked at the ceiling again for a moment, trying to will herself to not cry even harder. It didn’t work. She swallowed a few times so she could at least talk. “I broke up with Aidan lastnight.”
“I figured somethinghappened.”
Shae pulled out her phone and pulled up the picture Erica had taken of them under the mistletoe. She handed it over toKeira.
“Oh my god, this is so cute. Whathappened?”
“Well, I had another panic attack and I figure if I’m having so many Aidan-related panic attacks, that can’t begood.”
Keira winced and Shae could tell she was picking her next words carefully. “Do you know what exactly is triggering the panicattacks?”
“Yeah,” Shae finally admitted out loud. “I was really starting to likehim.”
“What’s wrong withthat?”
“The last time I liked someonethey—”
“Oh man. Come here.” Keira shuffled to the middle of the bed and pulled Shae into herarms.
