wafts through the crack in my door, and my stomach grumbles. I glance behind me at the clock on the nightstand. For two hours I’ve sat here with nothing to do other than fixate on the girl messing with my head. I deserve some of those snacks I helped put out earlier. Getting up, I throw my pencil across the room and follow my nose to the kitchen.
At the entrance, I stop outside the door. I’m starved, but the girls are huddled around the butcher-block island, and curiosity has me waiting. Aly turns from the oven and lays a tray of piping hot cookies on the counter. I’m so hungry I could eat the damn tray.
“Girls, it’s imperative you learn this now.” She levels them with a mock-serious expression, and her rapt audience leans in. “Boys are gonna come, and boys are gonna go. Unfortunately, some friends may even do the same. But dessert, y’all, will never let you down.”
I smother a laugh as Aly’s signature smile breaks across her face. She grabs a spatula, pries off a gooey chocolate chip cookie, and plops it on a plate. My stomach grumbles again, and I step forward to snag one. Then I hear:
“Boys suck!”
And I jump back. What the hell? But no one is even looking in my direction. Apparently, the statement was in regards to the suckiness of boys in general, not me in particular, but going in there now would be like stepping on a live grenade. Not happening, grumbling stomach be damned.
“But not Brandon, right, Aly?” I halt mid-backtrack as Baylee’s friend Britney leans her cheek on her hand. “I hear y’all are dating now. He’s so hot .”
Baylee pretends to gag, and Kaitie scrunches her nose. Aly laughs, and, curious how she’ll respond, I press against the door jamb, still out of sight. This I have to hear.
“My older sister said he’s a heartbreaker,” another girl interrupts. I think her name’s Ashley. “She says Brandon changes women like he changes underwear.” She gives the group a smug smile before turning to Baylee. Her smile withers. “No offense, Bayls. Or-or you, Aly.”
My sister looks to the ground, fidgeting with her sleeve, and my hands clench at my sides. I have reasons for hooking up, but it’s none of this girl’s business. And my sister doesn’t need to be hearing shit about me from her own friends. I want to go in there and say that very thing, but the look in Aly’s eyes stops me.
Her gaze sharpens before the hint of a smile tilts her lips. Resting her elbows on the island, she leans in like she’s about to confide a secret. “Brandon is pretty hot, huh?”
My eyebrows shoot up. That’s not what I expected her to say.
“And you’re right, Ashley, he does date a lot of girls. But he never leads them on.” Aly directs this at Baylee, and a grateful smile tugs my mouth. I should’ve known she had my back. Then a sort of faraway look crosses her face as she breaks off a piece of cookie and licks the chocolate from her fingers, staring at the bare wall over their heads. “It’s not as if the boy can help that he’s easy to fall in love with.”
The grateful smile freezes on my face as cold hits me square in the back.
Shit .
Freshman year, I knew Aly wanted more, but I thought she was over that by now. I hope she is because my feelings are still the same. During Dad’s illness, Aly was my rock. She came with her parents to the hospital with a never-ending supply of mindless games and homemade cookies. The night he died, she shot hoops with me for hours without saying a word. Our families were close so I’d always known her, but those months bonded us. She was the one bright spot to emerge from that hell.
After months of watching Mom cry in that hospital room and a year seeing her battle being a widow, I learned what love really does—it leads to misery. Friendships last. Relationships end. Three years ago, I refused to screw up the one good thing I had going. And I still won’t. My friendship with Aly is way too important to mess with.
Aly
At the entrance, I stop outside the door. I’m starved, but the girls are huddled around the butcher-block island, and curiosity has me waiting. Aly turns from the oven and lays a tray of piping hot cookies on the counter. I’m so hungry I could eat the damn tray.
“Girls, it’s imperative you learn this now.” She levels them with a mock-serious expression, and her rapt audience leans in. “Boys are gonna come, and boys are gonna go. Unfortunately, some friends may even do the same. But dessert, y’all, will never let you down.”
I smother a laugh as Aly’s signature smile breaks across her face. She grabs a spatula, pries off a gooey chocolate chip cookie, and plops it on a plate. My stomach grumbles again, and I step forward to snag one. Then I hear:
“Boys suck!”
And I jump back. What the hell? But no one is even looking in my direction. Apparently, the statement was in regards to the suckiness of boys in general, not me in particular, but going in there now would be like stepping on a live grenade. Not happening, grumbling stomach be damned.
“But not Brandon, right, Aly?” I halt mid-backtrack as Baylee’s friend Britney leans her cheek on her hand. “I hear y’all are dating now. He’s so hot .”
Baylee pretends to gag, and Kaitie scrunches her nose. Aly laughs, and, curious how she’ll respond, I press against the door jamb, still out of sight. This I have to hear.
“My older sister said he’s a heartbreaker,” another girl interrupts. I think her name’s Ashley. “She says Brandon changes women like he changes underwear.” She gives the group a smug smile before turning to Baylee. Her smile withers. “No offense, Bayls. Or-or you, Aly.”
My sister looks to the ground, fidgeting with her sleeve, and my hands clench at my sides. I have reasons for hooking up, but it’s none of this girl’s business. And my sister doesn’t need to be hearing shit about me from her own friends. I want to go in there and say that very thing, but the look in Aly’s eyes stops me.
Her gaze sharpens before the hint of a smile tilts her lips. Resting her elbows on the island, she leans in like she’s about to confide a secret. “Brandon is pretty hot, huh?”
My eyebrows shoot up. That’s not what I expected her to say.
“And you’re right, Ashley, he does date a lot of girls. But he never leads them on.” Aly directs this at Baylee, and a grateful smile tugs my mouth. I should’ve known she had my back. Then a sort of faraway look crosses her face as she breaks off a piece of cookie and licks the chocolate from her fingers, staring at the bare wall over their heads. “It’s not as if the boy can help that he’s easy to fall in love with.”
The grateful smile freezes on my face as cold hits me square in the back.
Shit .
Freshman year, I knew Aly wanted more, but I thought she was over that by now. I hope she is because my feelings are still the same. During Dad’s illness, Aly was my rock. She came with her parents to the hospital with a never-ending supply of mindless games and homemade cookies. The night he died, she shot hoops with me for hours without saying a word. Our families were close so I’d always known her, but those months bonded us. She was the one bright spot to emerge from that hell.
After months of watching Mom cry in that hospital room and a year seeing her battle being a widow, I learned what love really does—it leads to misery. Friendships last. Relationships end. Three years ago, I refused to screw up the one good thing I had going. And I still won’t. My friendship with Aly is way too important to mess with.
Aly
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