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What was she going to do? She had to find a way to make this better. To make Jinny forgive her. But she didn’t know how. She didn’t even know where to start. She’d betrayed her best friend’s trust, and she didn’t know how to get it back.
There was a knock on the door.
Esther leapt off the couch and threw it open, hoping Jinny had come back and she’d have another chance to explain.
Except it wasn’t Jinny. It was Jonathan.
“What?” The word came out harsher than she intended.
He flinched. “I, um…heard you and Jinny fighting.”
“Oh.” Esther went back to the couch and sank down on it again, leaving the door open.
He followed her inside and stood at one end of the couch, shifting his weight. “Are you okay?”
She looked away, swallowing. Unable to stand the pity in his eyes. “Not really.”
“Is Jinny okay?”
“No, she’s not okay. She’s pissed at me. And she has every right to be.”
“Did you tell her about—”
“I told her everything.”
“Oh.”
Esther leaned forward and cradled her head in her hands. “Fuck.”
He shuffled closer, hovering over her uncertainly. “Is there anything I can do?” He sounded so kind. So concerned about her. He had no idea she was about to break his heart. She squeezed her eyes shut so he wouldn’t see that they were full of tears.
“Esther?” He moved even nearer.
She exhaled a long, ragged breath and looked up at him. “Last night was a mistake. It can’t happen ever again.”
He took a stuttering step back. “What?”
“You dated my best friend.”
His eyebrows drew together. “It’s not like I really dated her though.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Wait,” he said, looking confused. “You mean because I fake-dated Jinny—”
“It wasn’t fake dating. It was real dating. You liked her, and she liked you.”
His expression hardened. “Not enough to keep dating me.”
“It doesn’t matter. She liked you first, so she gets forever dibs. I never should have let it happen.”
“Don’t I get a say in who has dibs on me?”
“No.”
“Are you serious right now?” He looked pissed.
“Look, I’m sorry, okay. None of this is fair to you, I realize that.” He hadn’t done anything wrong. He’d just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Collateral damage.
