I was lost inside my head, but the bell above the door at Starbucks brought me back to the present. The place was relatively emptyfor a Saturday morning. The only customers were a couple splitting a blueberry scone and an elderly man reading a newspaper. A bored-looking employee barely looked up from his phone as we approached the counter.
“You know what you want?” Alec asked as he inspected the glass display case filled with pastries.
I glanced at the menu hanging overhead. “I’ll have an iced coffee and a fruit parfait,” I said, choosing the first items I saw.
“Anything for the traitors?” he joked.
My lips pursed. I was tempted to say no, but denying someone their morning coffee was a punishment no one deserved. “Get them each a dark roast.”
“Okay.” He studied the assortment of baked goods for a moment longer and then moved toward the cash register. The guy behind the counter was still focused on his phone, so Alec cleared his throat. “Um, hi. Can I please have a grande iced coffee, two grande dark roasts, an espresso, one of those parfait things, a chocolate-chip bagel, and a box of assorted muffins? Oh, and cream cheese.”
The boy raised an eyebrow as if surprised by the length of Alec’s order, but he got to work without a word. When he finished, we found a table on the sidewalk patio and ate our breakfast in the sun.
“So,” Alec said, cutting his bagel in half. “Is there something specific that bothers you about Asha and Boomer dating?”
I considered his question, and by the time I’d come up with an answer, I’d inhaled half of my parfait. “It’s not them being togetherthat’s upsetting. It’s that they hid it from me. It feels like…I don’t know, betrayal?”
Alec nodded, but said, “They care about you, Felicity. A lot. I doubt they wanted to hurt you.”
“I know that.” It was the truth—Asha and Boomer would never purposely be mean to me. “I just don’t understand why they kept it a secret. It’s not like I wanted them to be unhappy. Did they think I’d get upset?”
“But youareupset.” He tore open his packet of cream cheese.
“Not because they’re together,” I said, scooping up a spoonful of blueberries, which I’d saved for last. “I’m upset because they didn’t trust me to be happy for them.”
“I don’t think it was about trust, Fel.”
More bitter words were poised on my tongue, but I stopped. Alec had called me by my nickname. Not Felicity, just Fel, and it thawed me.
Sighing, I let my bitterness go. “Then what, Alec?”
“They’re probably afraid. Both of hurting you and messing up your friendship.”
“So what do I do?”
“Talk to them.”
“Well, I knew that,” I said. “It’s not like I can avoid them forever. We’re going to be stuck in the car all day.”
“We can always leave them here in San Francisco,” he deadpanned. His face was so serious that, if I didn’t know better, I would have believed him. “Or tie them up in the trunk. Whichever you prefer.”
***
Our walk back to Kelsey’s was silent, and by the time we reached the red-and-pink house, I felt like a steel pinball had been launched inside my chest. The two lovebirds were sitting on the front steps. Asha had her chin propped up in her hands, and she looked absolutely miserable.
Fingers brushed softly against the back of my hand. “Don’t worry,” Alec whispered. “It will be fine.”
I sure hoped so. Otherwise, this was going to be a long trip. I nodded at him before making my way toward my friends.
Nobody said anything when I arrived at the base of the stairs. Boomer somehow managed to look small as he sat behind Asha. He leaned forward and took her hand in his, and she let out a raspy sigh as their fingers folded together. Her eyes were glassy, and the sight of my best friend on the verge of tears made my throat ache.
What could I possibly say to relieve the tension? This was all so awkward, and I didn’t know how to begin the conversation.
Boomer cleared his throat. “We’re so sorry, Felicity.”
I let out a long sigh. “Yeah, me too.”
“Please don’t apologize,” Asha replied. “It will only make me feel more guilty.”
