Page 28 of The Other Plan

I chuckled over the memory of Kenny dangling upside down before his pants gave out. “Yeah. Why?”

“You got super drunk and then went on and on and on about Carter. About the only guy you’d ever love. About how he broke your heart, and all men are assholes, and you’d never ever ever fall in love again. Do you remember that?”

Memories of drunken sobbing on Evan’s shoulder came flooding back to me. The nonstop tears, the running nose, the slurred speech as I vowed to never love again. Oh yeah... I remembered single horrifying detail of my epic meltdown.

“I guess a little.”

“Well, today you left out the fact that the guy... that same guy... is the reason your dumbass has a fake boyfriend tonight. And from the way it sounds, it wasn’t him who did the heartbreaking back then.”

“It was a misunderstanding!” I defended.

“I know.” Evan slid his hand only my shoulder and squeezed. “But just because it was a misunderstanding then doesn’t mean you need to miss the opportunity again. I saw the way he looks at you... and the way you look at him.”

“You did?”

He laughed. “Uh, yeah. And if I was your real boyfriend, I’d be in a jealous rage right now because you two still have it bad for each other. Real bad. So, as your friend, I’m not going to let you tuck tail and run away. We are going down to the Bayside to figure this shit out. You loved him, and now that you know it was a misunderstanding, you need to try again.”

“I didn’t love him,” I argued back. “I mean, I felt like I did, but I was just a kid! We barely knew each other. That’s not real love. It can’t be. It was just lust or something.”

“You certainly didn’t seem like a girl who got shattered because of the lust of youth. What you felt for him was real. It had to be because he broke your heart.”

I wanted to argue more against him using the words I’d kept telling myself over the years. It wasn’t love. It was a fling. Get over it, Jenna. But deep down, I knew what I’d felt for Carter was different... deeper. It felt a lot like, well, love.

Since I’d never fully understood my feelings for Carter myself, I had no desire to explain them. I tried to end the conversation. “I can’t be with Carter, Evan. It’s too late. Let’s just drop it.”

“It’s not too late.”

“It is. And he lives in New York. I live here. We both have companies. It won’t work.”

“So? People long-distance date all the time. You’ll figure it out. But you owe it to yourself to try this again... and without screwing it up this time.”

With a heavy sigh, I shook my head. “I appreciate the pep talk and the enthusiasm, but it’s too late for Carter and me. And even if I wanted to do something with him, he thinks I’m in a relationship already.”

“Quit being a chicken shit. Now get your ass in your car, and we’re going to the Bayside. And if I don’t see you trying to talk to Carter, I swear to God, I’ll bust you out.”

“Oh, yeah, because I’m supposed to go flirt with him while my boyfriend is there.” I reached forward and flicked his forehead. “Duh! I’m in a relationship already!”

“Then I’ll dump you at the bar.”

My eyes bulged. “You will not!”

“Oh, I will.” He grinned wide. “It will be perfect. You’ll be broken-hearted after losing this sweet piece, and Carter can comfort you.”

As he waggled his eyebrows, I reached forward and smacked him in the arm. “You are not dumping me at the Bayside! Damn it, Evan!”

He rolled his eyes. “Fine. But then you’re dumping me. Oh! You can be like,” he raised his voice to mimic mine, “I can’t be with you anymore, Evan. Even though you’re ridiculously good-looking, smart, funny, and the catch of a lifetime, I’m still in love with Carter.”

He feigned with his hand against his forehead, and I threatened to smack him again.

“I don’t talk like that, and no one is breaking up with anyone. You and I are in it to win it.”

“We’ll see.”

“Evan,” I warned.

He stepped out of the way and gestured for me to get into my car. “I’ll see you at the Bayside, honey.”

With a growl, I climbed into my car and started it. Terrified of what was going to happen, I pulled out my phone and texted Jo.