about what’s going on with her love life.
I need to be a better friend.
“Yeah. You two should totally come to the party.” He smiles, and it’s a pretty sight, I can’t deny it. My heart doesn’t start racing though. Of course, my heart doesn’t belong to him. It belongs to someone else. “It’ll be fun.”
“Okay,” I hear myself say. “We’ll go.”
Well, that was easy.
“Awesome.” He holds his hand out for a high five and I give it to him. At the last second, he grabs hold of my wrist, his fingers loose though he doesn’t let go. “Can’t wait to hang out with you.”
“Yeah.” My smile is weak. “Same.”
“See ya tomorrow,” he says, as he walks away from me.
“See ya,” I call after him, unaware someone is standing right next to me until he speaks.
“He’s a better choice for you, and you know it.”
Gee, love it when you offer up your opinion, big brother.
I glance over at Jake to see he’s watching Wyatt head toward his car in the church parking lot where the team dinners are held. “Wyatt is nice.”
“He’s kind of a prick, but he’s way better than the colossal douchebag you chose originally,” Jake mutters.
“It’s not like Eli and I are over,” I tell him.
Jake scoffs. “Could’ve fooled me.”
“What are you talking about?” I turn so I’m facing him, my arms crossed, my entire being feeling cross. As in, I’m super angry. Eli has been surprisingly quiet on social media this week. I’d like to think he’s taking some time and thinking about us and what happened.
But that’s just me projecting. I have no idea what he’s doing or thinking. I haven’t heard from him since those two text messages he sent me last weekend. And he never replied to the text I sent him. He hasn’t posted on Instagram or Snapchat. Definitely no more trash-talking stories. What’s the point? They played the game. His team lost.
That’s the end of it.
“I don’t see him coming around, trying to win you back,” he says, his tone condescending. “Pretty sure he’s moved on. Not like he’s the type to have a girlfriend.”
“What, you two are so close that you know and understand his dating habits?” Now it’s my turn to scoff. “Give me a break.”
“Can’t you get it through your thick skull that he is the absolute last guy you should go for right now?”
I hold my hand up, practically shoving it in my brother’s smug face. “I’m over this conversation. We’re done.”
“What the fuck, Ava?” Jake yells, as I hurry down the steps and into the parking lot, heading for my car. I’m sick of him being this way. Of constantly tearing Eli down, of not letting me ever get a word in when we’re having a so-called conversation. We’re not conversing, Jake’s lecturing and I’m supposed to just sit there and listen.
So over it.
I climb into my car and speed out of the parking lot, past my dad and Jake who are standing where I was only moments ago. I drive and drive, until I’m on the highway, passing by the Starbucks parking lot. Where I spot—
Eli’s car in the drive-thru line.
I whip around and head back to Starbucks, pulling into the parking lot a little too fast, making my tires squeal when I hit the brakes. The car is a Dodge Charger, just like Eli’s but…
It’s not his. His car is red. This one is black.
Frustration fills me and I lean forward, pressing my forehead against the steering wheel and closing my eyes. I’m seeing things. He’s everywhere and nowhere. I can’t keep this up. Thinking I see him when I don’t. Is this even normal? I feel like maybe I’m losing my grip on reality. My thoughts are consumed with him, yet he won’t talk to me. It’s like what we shared never happened.
A horn blares, startling me, and I lift up, glancing in the rearview mirror to see a car behind me, waiting for me to move. I’m blocking the flow of traffic in this narrow parking lot. Waving my hand in the rearview mirror, I pull into the closest parking spot, throw the car in park and lean back against the seat, exhaling loudly. The other car goes speeding by, and I hear laughter. Boy’s laughter.
The sound fills me with sadness. Reminds me of Eli.
God, what doesn’t remind me of him?
Pulling my phone out of the center console, I bring up our text message thread and start typing.
You never responded to me. So