Page 47 of No Merciful Corruption

She bites down on her bottom lip. “Sorry…”

Lyss slides onto the stool beside me and takes my hand in hers. She rests her head on my shoulder as she says, “You smell like Fabuloso and Lysol.”

Despite myself, I laugh.

“I always know you have something on your mind when you start stress cleaning.”

“I always know you have something on your mind because you stress eat in the middle of the night.” I look over at her. “Alejandro said he found you downstairs eating rocky road with a fork.”

“You guys are loud. Very loud. I couldn’t sleep.”

I sigh a bit. There’s something I’ve been avoiding addressing for weeks. Maybe it’s finally time I do. “We don’t buy rocky road. It’s the ice cream you eat when you’re in love.”

One of the perks of being best friends since kindergarten is that we have a disturbingly deep knowledge and understanding of each other. Lyss knows I allude to a nut allergy at restaurants because I hate the way they taste in food and I know there isn’t a single picture in existence of her photographed from the right side. Lyss knows I pray in secret with a rosary my great-grandmother gifted me for my first communion even though my relationship with God is inconsistent.

And I know that when she’s whimsical, crushing, in love, or in angst, she eats rocky road.

“Is it because of Rian?”

Lyss nearly comes out of her skin. “What⁠—”

“Alyssa,” I say. “The only person who doesn’t know you’re in love with Rian is Rian.”

She opens her mouth to speak but only a strangled sound escapes. She pulls her hand away and sits in an upright position as if preparing for impact. But there’s nothing to prepare for.

“Had I been a better friend to you this past year, I would’ve seen what was so obvious to everyone but me.”

“Dee…”

“I promise I’m not upset. Sad maybe. And a little confused.” I confess. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“What was there to say?” She responds dismissively. “Rian never had eyes for me; only you. I didn’t see the point in getting between the two of you when there was no reason to. Trust me. My love is unrequited.”

“It doesn’t have to be. In time⁠—”

“If you’re about to suggest I pursue my best friend’s ex-boyfriend, I’m going to throw something at you.” She shakes her head. “I don’t want to talk about this. Don’t bring it up again, Dahlia.”

I reach out and take her hand.

“You know Lyss,” I tell her. “I really wouldn’t mind. I mean it. All I want is for you to be happy.”

She doesn’t answer me right away. “What are you going to do about Karina?”

I take the hint and change the subject. “Well. I went to Hunter today. We had lunch at a diner near campus.”

She lifts a brow in a surprise. “Really?”

I nod. “She invited me to her house tomorrow. I think I’m gonna go.”

“How—”

The front door opens and closes and the distant thump of footsteps echoes down the hall. A minute later Alejandro appears with windswept hair and reddened cheeks from the cold.

I point at him. “You’re in trouble.”

He blinks up at me. “What did I do?”

“When were you going to tell me that Karina and my father were at the hospital last month?”