“Last I checked, your name’s on one of the tickets. So, you’re going.”
Realization hits me. “Oh, no. I’m very much not going.”
“Really? But I bought you a gift to bribe you.”
“What could possibly bribe me into this?”
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pair of purple sunglasses shaped like flowers. For a second, all I can do is stare at them. They look not only impractical, but like nothing else in my closet.
“What the hell are those?”
“Cute. And for you.” He hands them over, and I’m wondering if my best friend lost his mind.
“Uh, thanks. But I’m still not going.”
Nate rolls his eyes. “Do you really think that I’m gonna leave you after you just ended your ten-year relationship?”
“Yes, because I told you to.”
“Try again.”
“Well then. You’ll have to stay here, which is also not acceptable because you deserve this vacation.”
“So do you.”
“I don’t—” I shake my head. “A boat and me do not mix. This is a terrible idea.”
“Listen, I usually don’t push you and water.” And he doesn’t. All it took was one panicked episode during a summer break and he dropped it. “But I also looked into it. There are pools on only one of the decks. We can totally avoid them. And if you don’t want to be on the docks, we’ll avoid that as well.”
I blink at him. I’ve never known Nate to do research in his life. He only did it when trying to figure out the qualifications to be a gym teacher. Which means he’s serious about me going on this trip.
“B-but I’m fine. I’m literally going on my run right now.” I gesture to my leggings and shoes. Even my hair is in its perfect ponytail.
“And what have you been doing up until now?”
I wince, knowing I was sitting on the toilet watching other people get married and crying.
I hate the way Nate can read my mind.
“Why are you doing all of this?” I ask quietly. “You can just take the free trip and run.”
The smug look on his face fades. “Do you think I would?”
I regret the words the second I say them. “No, I don’t. But you could, and honestly, youshouldtake it and run. I’m not gonna be any fun on this trip. You know that, so why do you want me to go on it so badly?”
He pauses, eyes going distant as he thinks about what he’s going to say. I can only stare. He hardly ever thinks this hard about his words. “You changed Rob’s name on the ticket.”
I’d done it right before the deadline, hastily putting Nate’s information instead. I had to pay a hefty fee for it too.
“I did.”
“Not yours.”
“I didn’t mean that as a sign or anything,” I reply.
“But it’s an opportunity for you to join.” Nate’s fingers tap on his arm as he continues. “And the last few months with the wedding planning ... it’s been stressful for you. And I’ll be honest, I was looking forward to this week because I thought we’d be able to spend some time together. Just the two of us, without Rob or the wedding hanging over us.”
I blink. Even with the planning, I made time for him. But I knew our hangouts had devolved into me venting about what was happening with the wedding. Immediately, my shoulders slump as guilt hits me.
