HARPER
By the time we loaded into my Jeep, the late morning sun had already warmed the faux leather seats enough to make me regret wearing leggings. I cracked the windows and tossed my purse into the back, taking a deep breath before starting the engine.
The dash still smelled faintly like my lavender car spray. The scent was familiar and grounding. It felt good to be behind the wheel again—even if we were heading straight toward whatever mess waited for us at Lena’s apartment.
Wren climbed into the passenger seat, her long auburn hair still damp from the shower she had taken a few hours before. I can’t remember the last time she wore her hair braided. It hung loosely down her back, falling just above her tailbone. It had gotten so long this past year. Her normally pale freckles were darker because of the summer sun. As fall began, they would lighten again, as they did every year. She had changed into a fitted powder blue V-neck and leggings. The color was super out of character for her. I think dating Reed was making her come out of her comfort zone. She was truly so beautiful. I loved my best friend.
She looked calm, but I could feel her watching me.
“So,” I said, mostly to fill the silence, “this is a fair warning, I am definitely going to cry.”
I shifted into reverse, checked over my shoulder, and backed out of the driveway.
Wren turned toward me, her voice light but way too calculated.
“Is there something going on between you and Cam?”
My heart skipped a beat, hitting the brakes slightly. I wasn’t even sure if something was going on between us. We had a moment between us, but it’s been a week, and we haven’t even talked about it. “What made you ask that?”
She shrugged, acting like it was no big deal, but her eyes told a different story. “Just the way he looked at you before he left. And that laugh when he accidentally scared you? Yeah, I don’t think I have heard him laugh like that in years.”
I snorted, rolling my eyes. “Cam laughs like that when people fall or trip or choke on their own spit. It’s nothing new.”
“But helookedat you differently,” she said, “like he saw something you didn’t want him to.”
I laughed again, trying to wave her off. “There’s nothing going on. Seriously. He’s just Cam. He’s always beenjustCam.”
Wren didn’t reply, just kept twisting the extra hair tie on her wrist while looking out the window.
I tapped my fingers on the wheel, jaw tightening slightly. “Anyway, Lena was saying she just needs help with a few more things. It seems like downsizing isn’t her thing. I mentioned mailing some boxes to her once she was situated. I figured she would fly to Oregon, and I feel like that may be the best move.” My voice sounded quieter when I spoke again. “I’m just hoping when she leaves, she doesn’t forget to call or video call every once in a while.”
Wren finally looked at me again, softer now. “We’ll figure itout together. And why wouldn’t she call? We are literally her only friends.”
We laughed in agreement. We drove the rest of the way in silence, but my stomach was already turning. I hadn’t let myself think about what it would feel like to watch Lena leave. To see the apartment we shared together for years empty. But still buried under all the nerves and emotions, Cam was still in my head.
* * *
It was so odd seeing my old apartment so bare. Lena had sold most of the extra furniture she didn’t want to haul to Portland. I was wondering if keeping some of the furniture meant she wasn’t flying. Everything else was in its designated box, stacked in the empty living room. Wren walked up to her cousin and wrapped her arms around her.
Lena looked absolutely exhausted. Her calico dyed hair was tied in a messy top knot with strands of blonde, orange, and black sticking out of it. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, and her eyes were red-rimmed as if she had been crying most of the morning. Her baggy plaid pajama pants and red hoodie looked cozy, but it was unlike Lena to not get ready for the day.
Wren pulled back from the hug and cupped her face in her hands. She spoke to Lena in the softest voice I have ever heard her use. “You’re going to be okay. We will be there with you every step of the way. You are going to do such big things, Le. You have worked so hard for this. I am so fucking proud of you, Lena. We will visit when we can, or you can always fly home to visit. And we will be here if you ever want to come home.”
Tears streamed down Lena’s face as Wren pulled her back into a hug. I stood there watching my best friends say goodbye to each other. I knew Lena was going off to live out her dreams,but this fucking sucked. It had been the three of us forever. We helped each other grow up. They were practically my sisters.
I walked up and threw my arms around them, and we all cried. “Little Lena Ivy isn’t so little anymore, huh?” I laughed through tears. That was her nickname we gave her because she was so tiny all her life. Even though she was only a year younger, she has been five feet tall since forever, not that we were much taller.
Lena broke apart the hug and dried her tears with her hoodie sleeve. “I never thought I’d be the first one to leave Sawyers Cove.”
“Are you excited? When do you leave?” Wren asked as she took a seat on the floor, using a boxes as back support. We followed suit.
“Mixed emotions. I am thrilled that I got this job opportunity. But honestly? I am going to miss it here so much. There’s something more than just you two that makes me want to stay. Shocking, I know. But that is a convo for a different day. It’s a thirty-five-hour car ride,” she rubbed her temples as she spoke. “Fucking hell, the U haul is going to be a fortune. I leave tomorrow morning, like five in the morning or something.”
I was a bit confused; thirty-five hours was a hell of a long time to drive alone. Especially if she was stopping off in random states to sleep. That didn’t sound safe to me. “Le, you're making that drive alone? Are you sure that’s safe?”
“Oh God, no. It would take me three days to get there. My bo–my friend is driving with me.” Wren and I looked at each other, but Lena kept talking before we had a chance to ask. “So, today I just need help loading up the last of the boxes into the U haul. They’re pretty light, should be easy enough!”
I looked from Lena to Wren, then back to Lena. “Lena, what friend? As far as I knew, we were your closest friends, but you trust someone else to drive with you at night?”
