“What?” I ask, thrown off a bit by her tone.
She gives me sympathetic eyes. “I wasverywrong about him.”
“Mila, you weren’t wrong. You were protecting me.”
She shakes her head.
“I was protecting the girl I knew at seventeen. He’s been — he’s been good to you. He’s been so good to you. I’ve been watching him for two weeks, a little scared to be honest, but he is — he isn’t the boy who left you at seventeen. He is —”
She stops.
Mila Brooks, my best friend since forever, does not admit when she’s wrong. This girl would rather eat dirt. So, it’s not only him who has changed in college.
“He’s the boy you knew he was the whole time, Melly. You knew. I didn’t believe you. I’m sorry. I know I made things harder for you, and I’m sorry.”
I open my arms and step forward. She hugs me hard. I hold onto her.
“It’s––”
“Don’t say it’s fine. I was such a bitch about him.”
“It’s fine. It’s okay.”
“I was a bitch.”
“Okay,” I say, letting her win.
She laughs. “I love him for you.”
I pull back and look at her.
“I want you to know that.” She hugs herself now that we’re apart. “I love him for you.”
I almost cry.
“I mean it.”
“I love you, Mila. Thank you.”
I hug her again. We stand in the cold of the parking lot for a long time.
“Coffee tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
“My place at ten.”
“Okay.”
She gets in her car and drives off.
Blue walks out of the rink five minutes later. His hair is wet. He’s in his Wolves hoodie and jeans. His gear bag is over his shoulder. He sees me standing alone in the lot. He frowns.
“Melly.” He looks around. “Where are the girls?”
“Home.”
He crosses the lot and stops in front of me. He looks at my face. “Is everything alright?”
