Page 19 of Black Waters

She refused, mumbling, “I’m so sorry. It just came out.”

“I love you, too.”

I did. It might not have been the overpowering kind of love I had for Whit, but I did love Connie, and I needed to own it.

Her eyes snapped to mine. “What?”

I smiled. “I do. You’re a good girl, and it’s time I appreciate you. Okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered with moist eyes.

Then I walked a shocked, happy, and stupefied Constance to her classroom.

During dinner, our relationship somehow grew into what Connie seemed to have always wanted. Whitney sat across the booth from Connie and me and grinned at us. “What’s gotten into you two? You guys look so… happy or something.” She took a huge bite of the spaghetti I’d bought her. She was back to eating like a champ.

Whitney and I were both surprised when Constance started crying. Whit’s eyes bugging out of her head with her mouth so full were hysterical! But I muffled my laughter and pulled Connie to me. “What’s wrong?”

While Whit attempted an impressive swallow, Constance hid in my chest, crying. “I am… I’m so happy, Reether.” Staying in my embrace, she grabbed a napkin and dabbed at her reddening eyes, the picture of refinement.

On the other hand, Whit choked on a meatball, wiping her mouth like a man.

I chuckled at the opposites at my table. “Why are girls so weird?”

Whit snorted around her half-chewed dinner. “I blame it on men.”

Through more tears, Constance burst out laughing. “I agree!” Still leaning against me, she slowly reached her hand across the table. It looked like a bridge was being built right in front of me. Constance quietly said, “Thank you for this, Whitney.”

My jaw dropped when Whit slowly reached out and welcomed Connie’s hand. “I’m—I’m sorry to have been such a, well, you know.”

“Me too.” Constance cried. “Me too.”

Whit looked at me as her eyes filled. “This is your fault too, you know.”

“What?”

We finished eating, making fun of each other. It was a great night. I was trying to fall out of love with my best friend while falling in love with my girlfriend. Piece of cake. Okay, not so much.

I felt bad taking Constance home. I’d gotten a text from Crash, saying he might be late getting to Whit’s. I had to bail on Connie, so I could go home, fake going to bed, and swim to Whitney.

“So you are really trying this with Connie?”

Sitting in my car, in Whit’s driveway, I wondered if Harlan was right. Here was my chance to know how Whit truly felt about me. “Do you think I shouldn’t?”

Please say yes. I’m yours. Just say yes, baby.

Whitney toyed with her small mailbag in her lap. “She really cares for you.”

But do you?

Her deep inhale, her silent thinking… all of it should have told me so much, but all I heard was, “I think you should give it a go, Link.” And the girl I was in love with got out of my car without another word.

I watched her walk into her home and not look back. I was crushed, so I called Connie as I drove around the lake to get home. She sounded so excited when she answered. “Hi! Whit home okay?”

From one extreme to another.

Connie kept touching my heart with worries for my girl—who wasn’t really my girl. “Yeah, she’s good. How’s my other favorite girl?”

“Since the twenty minutes that have passed since you dropped me off?”