When Joss Met Matt by Ellie Cahill Page B

She’d come through Milwaukee on her way up from Illinois, and we were both delighted not to make the trek alone. Three hours, ending in a feverish search for small, unmarked roads, was not something to take on solo.
    â€œI just cannot believe this is the same lake that I’ve seen down in Chicago,” Jessie said, face pressed to the passenger window.
    â€œWell, it is,” I said. “And it’s the same lake over in Michigan and all the way up to the Upper Peninsula.”
    Jessie stuck her tongue out at me, but grinned. She hadn’t stopped marveling at the lake since it had come into view.
    â€œI’m so glad you’re here!” she squealed. “It would have sucked to drive up here alone!”
    â€œI just wish Alex was coming.”
    â€œYou see him all the time, this will be good for you.”
    â€œWeekends are not all the time.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. He’s the one being a dork about this.”
    I kept my mouth shut. I was pretty mad at Alex myself, but I didn’t want to talk about it. Saying it out loud would mean admitting that, and for reasons I couldn’t fully explain, I didn’t want to admit anything was wrong with my relationship with Alex. There were sides to be taken, and being surrounded by friends who would gladly take mine made it harder to remember that Alex was sweet, adoring, and wonderful. He was really stressed out by his summer classes was all. And being apart was harder than we’d expected. I was sure he hadn’t meant to upset me. He probably didn’t even realize I was upset.
    Not that he’d know—he was going camping for the holiday with “some buddies.” He wanted me to promise not to go up to Matt’s place even though he was gone, but I’d sidestepped the issue. He thought I wasn’t going, and I knew I was. We’d deal with it when he was back in range of a cell tower.
    â€œSo, um, does Matt have a girl coming up for the weekend?” Jessie asked.
    I laughed. “Besides you, me, Geena, and Annemarie, you mean?”
    â€œYeah.” She leaned forward and turned the volume on the radio down to almost nothing. “Like, is he seeing anyone?”
    â€œOh. Not that I know of. He wasn’t seeing anyone last time I talked to him.”
    â€œHm.”
    Her efforts to sound disinterested were pathetic. “Are you into Matt?” I asked.
    â€œNo, I—” she gasped. “He just—he’s just really nice is all, and I thought—”
    My foot eased up on the gas and the car slowed.
    â€œWhat? What did I say?”
    â€œJess.…” What the hell was I going to tell her? The truth? Something completely made up that would put her off the trail?
    â€œYou think it’s a bad idea, don’t you?” she asked.
    â€œIt’s not that—”
    â€œDoes he not like me? Did he say something?”
    â€œNo! Of course not.” I forced myself to bring the car back up to the speed limit. “I, um … it’s just that I kind of …”
    â€œ You don’t like him, do you?” she asked. “You’re with Alex!”
    â€œI know that! God! And Alex is madly in love with me, and we are perfectly happy together, by the way—”
    She snorted.
    â€œI slept with him.”
    â€œNo shit.”
    â€œNot Alex. Matt.”
    â€œWhat?” she shrieked.
    I ended up telling her everything, leaving out the irrelevant details, like the fact that he was still the best kisser I’d ever encountered. When I was done, all she wanted to know was, “Does Alex know?”
    â€œDo you think I’m insane?” I demanded.
    â€œGod.” She slipped one sandal off and propped her foot on the dashboard. “Well, never mind that plan.”
    â€œSorry.”
    She shrugged. “Hey, it’s not your fault you got there first.”
    â€œI didn’t know you were interested in