"Well, you're not making it easy."
"Then be the bad guy." I stole a quick kiss, and he groaned quietly. "Come on, Tolliver. You're not making any sense."
"You should be free to follow your heart."
Isn't that what I'm doing?
He stood from the couch, leaving me to stare up at him. "I saw you with Ryker in the hall. Before that, you kept calling me your friend, so many times. I'm sorry it took me so long to get it. I knew from the beginning that you were into him, so as your friend, your true friend, I'm stepping aside."
"No, I?—"
"I'll see you around, Freya."
And then he was gone.
* * *
"So, you just let him leave?" Hazel asked.
The rest of the writing group sat forward, waiting for my answer. We were currently hanging out at The Fiery Heart, a coffee shop only minutes away from my house. This was where the group usually met up to write. Hazel liked it because of the atmosphere, but I loved it because the staff mostly left you alone. I didn't want anyone else hearing our conversation.
"I mean, I didn't let him leave per se," I said.
She wasn't convinced.
"Okay, yes, I did. But I was in shock."
"It's days later. Have you seen him since?"
"No."
Lola hit me with a sympathetic look. "Is Tolliver ghosting you? Because that would suck."
"I don't think so," I said. "I got a text."
"Ooh," Ana leaned forward, "what did it say?"
"He told me he couldn't come over to read because he's sick."
"Huh. And you buy that?"
I glanced at the others.
"Sounds a little sketchy," Scotlyn said.
"More than a little," Hazel added, and I glared her way. "What? I'm just saying it's the middle of summer. Not a lot of people are getting sick right now."
"Plus, you had that awkward conversation. The timing is convenient."
The four of them nodded.
"Did he tell you what he has?" Lola asked, and when I shook my head, she shook hers too. "Sorry, Freya. But that sounds like ghosting to me."
"Or," Ana said, "he could actually be sick."
"Or"—Hazel raised a brow—"he could be avoiding her."
Scotlyn gestured to my phone. "Ask him if you can come see him, and see what he says."
