I shrug. “I know!”So, shouldn’t that mean something?
“But you’re sleeping with him? You couldn’t even sneak around to go on a date? You just went straight to banging him?” Her face is twisted into disgust. She rolls her eyes and says, “I cannot with this. I just can’t. You refused to go on that blind date with Darrin’s best friend weeks ago. You refused to go out with the guy from the philosophy class who asked you out twice. You refused Paxton Bowie. Why my brother? I do not understand why my brother.”
“He took me on a date.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’ve been trying to warn you, Lucy. You have no idea what you’re getting into with him.”
I wince. “He’s a good guy.”
“There aremanygood guys, Lucy.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“I want you to say that you are going to stop seeing him.”
The world tilts again. “I tried to push him away, G. I told him no for two weeks. I did not ask for any of this. I’m not stealing him from you. He’s not stealing me from you. I am still — I can still be your best friend.”
She steps backward, half a step. “You’re not understanding,” she says.
“I don’t understand what?”
“That you aremybest friend. And I told you, six different times, that I needed you to stay away from him. And you didn’t.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I’m sorry, Gianna.”
“You should leave.”
The floor goes out from under me. “What?”
“I am asking you to leave the apartment, Lucy. Move out. Pack your stuff. Go.”
My chest tightens and my eyes flood. I cannot stop them. The dread that has been low in my stomach is everywhere now. It’s in my hands, my throat, in the soles of my feet. I’m crying, and I’m ashamed of how fast I am crying.
“I can’t just move. Please don’t do this to me.”
“Lucy.”
“I picked up Benson’s tutoring session because I needed the money, G.” That one makes me sputter out a loud sob. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I already paid rent for this month. Please don’t do this. Don’t kick me out.” I cover my mouth, tears falling from every corner. I thought I knew heartCamdenk, but nothing beats being kicked to the curb by your best friend.
“Lucy.”
“Please, G. Please don’t.” I’m sobbing now. My body feels weighted down, like I’m being held under. I feel so side-blinded from this that my brain can’t catch up. The sounds leaving me are so embarrassing.
Gianna has gone stone-faced. I hate that I’ve crumbled in front of her, but she’s my best friend, and I can’t lose her.
“I told you I didn’t want you to get involved with my brother.”
I wipe my tears away and inhale. “Why are you kicking me out over this?” I wipe my cheeks. “I don’t understand. You’re my best friend.”
“You want to be with him, right? You can be, just not here.”
That hurts me right in my chest. She doesn’t want to see her brother happy? She doesn’t want anything to do with me if I’m with him?
“Where am I supposed to go?”
She almost flinches. “I don’t know.”
“Gianna. Please.”
