Page 54 of A Curvy Girl’s Hurricane Survival Guide

“Bro. You’ve got it bad. Like, ‘I’m going to write her name in my game code’ bad.”

I wince. “Already did that part. Her name’s Cai, by the way, and it’s complicated. She’s got a whole messy situation with her ex, and I didn’t want to be the rebound guy. Or the rich-guy-she-only-wants-now-that-she-knows-who-I-am-guy. So I left.”

“Damn,” John says, real sympathy in his eyes. “You really liked her, huh?”

“Yeah,” I swallow. “I really did.” I stared at the amber liquid in my glass as if the answer to my predicament might lie at the bottom.

“Okay. New plan. We’re not picking up women tonight. We’re getting you another drink, and you’re telling me the whole story about this girl who ruined you for everyone else. And then tomorrow I’m helping you figure out how the hell you’re going to fix this.”

I smiled despite myself. “Yeah. Okay.”

Rule #22

FOR MAXIMUM SURVIVAL ODDS, RELY ON YOUR PEOPLE

CAI

I stand in front of my entire family as if I were facing a firing squad. Even though the power was back and the damage was minimal, no one had left. Why would they? All the people and food are right here. The second word spreads that I have something to confess, I swear I saw someone pop popcorn.

I take a deep breath and rip off the Band-Aid. “I lied about Trevor.”

A ripple of gasps goes through the room.

“Me lo imaginé,” Mama mutters. (I imagined as much)

“Dios mío,” Tia Elena adds.

“So he wasn’t even in Puerto Rico?” Alex asks.

“No, he was there…for a boys’ trip. But while he was gone, he basically dumped me over text.” I force myself to keep going; no more hiding. “I was going to fly there to try and win him back.”

“Wait, what did he say when you told him you were coming?” Crispi asks.

I wince. “He’d already blocked me. I couldn’t even tell him I was on the way.”

The room erupts with creative Spanish and English curses aimed squarely at Trevor. Surprisingly, none of it is directed at me.

“What about Lawson Jones?” Lucas suddenly pipes up.

“Lawson?” Mom asks, confused.

“Yeah, that’s Sonny’s real name. He’s kind of famous.”

Mom’s head snaps toward me. “Famous?”

I nod, cheeks burning. “Yeah, I met him on the plane. He knew the truth the whole time. I made him promise not to say anything.”

“But why didn’t you just tell us?” Alex asks. “Why make us think Trevor was this great guy?”

I look down at my hands. “Because I didn’t want to come home after two years and admit I hadn’t become a real writer, that I was still just… me. That I’d wasted a whole year on a guy I basically had to beg to take a Christmas card photo with me. And then I spent all the money I’d saved to visit you guys on a plane ticket to chase him. I felt pathetic.”

“That’s not pathetic!” Mom’s voice cuts through the room, sharp and fierce. Everyone goes quiet.

She steps closer. “When your father and I first met, he wanted nothing to do with me. He made fun of me, told me to leave him alone. I followed him around like a lost puppy anyway. One time he invited me to a dance because no one else would go with him. I bought a new dress, begged your abuela to let me wear lipstick… and the day before the dance he told me he was going with someone else.”

I stare at her, stunned. I’ve never heard this story.

Dad clears his throat. “In my defense, she was fourteen, and I was eighteen. She was still basically a kid.”