“Yum,” I echo half-heartedly.
“Speaking of yummy,” Madison says, her voice dropping an octave.
I follow her gaze across the room and see…
Oh,hellno.
It’s funny how time makes you forget things. For instance, I forgot what a total wreck Madison’s love life was for the first three years of college before she saw the light and realized that the love of her life had been right there all along in the form of our close friend Patrick.
It was a wreck because ofhim.
Jake.
Jake, the guy currently holding his hands up in victory after making a shot in beer pong.
Jake, the loser Madison is currently eye-fucking.
“No. No way. Not him. Not again.”
Jake, the asshole Madison lost her virginity to on this very night and who then proceeded to ruin the next three years of her life. They dated on and off until junior year, when she finally walked away for good. He cheated on her throughout—hence the off periods—and completely shattered her self-esteem.
Only no, he didn’t.
No, hehasn’t.
Not yet.
I can stop it. That’s what this whole do-over thing is about, I realize—I can fix not only my life but also the lives of the people I love.
I can save my best friend from having her heart broken.
I can spare her so much pain.
“What are you talking about?” Madison says. “Do you know him? Do you have a class together? Maybe you could introduce us.” In two seconds flat, Madison’s voice goes from bewildered to ecstatic.
“Yes,” I begin slowly, trying to formulate a believable lie. “Idoknow him. I met him at… that club meeting I went to the other day, what was it…”
“The volunteer club? That brings food and supplies to homeless people?”
Well, shit. Why didthathave to be the last club meeting I went to? I want to contradict her and say I went to something super boring and self-serving, but my brain draws a blank.
I make a mental note to figure out what classes I’m taking and what clubs I’m in, because now that I think back on it, my freshman year was kind of a blur.
“Yes. Right. That one—except he only joined because it’ll look good on his med-school application,” I say, grimacing like I wasn’t similarly motivated, except it was law school for me.
“He’s going to be a doctor?” Her eyebrows shoot up with interest.
Okay, new tactic. “He slept with half the women in the club. Never called any of them. Broke their hearts.”
Madison’s smile fades, but I’m on a roll.
“He’s a cheater too. There was one girl—he cheated on her repeatedly. Had her in full denial. Blaming herself, thinking it was her fault. Really ripped her confidence to shreds.”
This isn’t fun anymore. Actually, I feel really sad. And also guilty. I should have done something like this the first time around—I’d seen all the warning signs, but I’d ignored them.
Not this time.
Frowning, Madison asks, “Why blame herself if he’s the cheater? She should’ve dumped him.”
