I nearly combusted.“No.Absolutely not.We’re not—there’s nothing—we’re definitely not.”
She raised a brow.
“We're just childhood… acquaintances.”
Heat crawled up my neck.I pressed my palms to the table, forcing composure.“He’s just… helping me out with something.With an ex.”
“An ex?”Her eyebrows shot up and a smile shaped her lips.“There we go—the drama.Spill.”
I hesitated.“I don't really…”
“Did he steal from you?Oh, fuck.I had an ex who stole for the fun of it.Asshole took my anklet while I was sleeping and had the nerve to lie about it.There's no way he cheated.Who would cheat on you?No way,” she added after seeing my expression.
I forced a smile.“Clearly, he didn't share those sentiments.”
“What a dick.”
“We dated for five years,” I said finally.“I thought he was going to be my future.Then I walked in on him cheating on me.With my cousin.They’re getting married this month.”
Nerissa’s entire face twisted.“Oh, hell no.”
“I tried to be… composed.The night I found them together, I just lost it.Yelled, threw the ring at his face, and just walked out.”
“You were engaged to the man?”
I nodded.“I told myself I could just erase their existence from my mind and just move on.I thought it was one time—a mistake, as he called it—but they’d been together long enough to justify an engagement.I didn’t know any of it.”
“Okay, first of all,” she said, sitting up straighter, hands in the air, “your ex is a fucking asshole.I mean, who cheats on their fiancée with their family member?Sounds like small dick syndrome.”
A laugh escaped me.Barely.But enough.
“And your cousin?Is her nameslut,or was she always envious of your relationship?”
Despite myself, I smiled.I didn't even have to tell her about Lori for her to understand the type of person she was.
“It shouldn't have surprised me that she went after him, but God.They really… hurt me.And I don’t want to care, but Ido.I hate that I care.I feel angry, and stupid, and embarrassed.”
“They're the ones who should feel like that.Don't even.”
I ran a hand through my hair.“It's insane.I just… I thought I knew him.I saw a whole future with him, and he was just playing me.”
Nerissa reached across the table, tapping my hand.“Savannah.Listen to me.His.Fucking.Loss.”She pointed at me, head shake filled with attitude.“You are a stunner.You think you’re gonna miss some man who can’t keep it in his pants?I don't care if he's Maddox money rich, no man's worth it if he can't keep his dick to himself.”
I blinked rapidly.Tears threatened to fall, and I felt even more ridiculous.
“No crying,” she sternly said.“You’ll ruin your makeup, and then I’ll have to fight a bitch.Forget him—he has a tiny dick anyway.”
I laughed again, softer.“Thank you.”
It felt… God, it felt good to talk to a woman about this.With how much I studied, I was never good at making friends, so it was a breath of fresh air just to have this conversation with an unbiased person.
“Anytime.”She leaned back, eyes warm now.“And look, everyone needs a rebound.Or twelve.We’re going out tonight.”
“Oh, no, I don’t really—”
“We’re going out,” she repeated.
“I have class in the morning.And outlines.And a moot court brief—”
