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“I don’t have time in my life for people who can’t make time for me.”
“That’s just the hurt talking.”
“I don’t care what’s talking. I mean it, Henna. It’s bad enough that I feel like his second choice. The girl he’s accepting because he can’t have the one he really wants.”
“Stop that.” Henna cuts me off before I can finish my thought. “Just stop. You are no one’s second choice, Peyton.”
“No?” I question sarcastically.
“Absolutely not. That man is crazy about you. It doesn’t matter who came before you. It’s the now that matters, and girl, to him you matter a hell of a lot more than I think you realize.”
“Then why isn’t he here?” I repeat forcefully.
“I can’t answer that. But, you know Abel. You know that if he’s not here there has to be a reason.”
“Oh, there’s a reason alright. I’m just not sure it’s a reason I’m gonna like.”
“My god, did that car knock a few screws out of place?” Henna tilts her head and studies me. “Where is my optimistic, perky best friend?”
“She got hit by a car,” I deadpan, causing a quick smile to pass over Henna’s face.
She manages to wipe it clean for all of two seconds before it spreads wide, laughter bubbling in her throat.
At first I think she’s lost it, but then for some unknown reason, I start laughing too. And it hurts...bad. I clutch my ribs and shake my head, deciding I need to try not to do that again anytime soon.
——
“Have you talked toAbel?” I ask Aaron who helps ease me onto the couch.
It’s been three days since my accident and while I’m so glad to be home, there’s an air of uncertainty hovering over me that I can’t seem to shake. But I know exactly what, or should I say, who, is causing it.
“No, sorry.” He frowns, standing upright as soon as I’m positioned comfortably.
“Not your fault.” I shrug, dropping my head back onto the cushion so I can look up at the ceiling, afraid that if I look at Aaron for another moment I might start crying.
It’s been an emotional couple of days. As if being hit by a car wasn’t bad enough, Abel’s sudden unexplained disappearance is making an already bad situation so much worse.
“He’s just...just be patient with him, okay? He’s going through something right now.”
“I wouldn’t care if the sky was falling.” I lift my head up and meet Aaron’s gaze. “If it were him sitting here,” I gesture to myself, “nothing would keep me from being by his side. Nothing.”
“I get that. And I get why you’re pissed. But you and Abel are two very different people. You can’t expect him to always react the way you would.”
“I don’t expect him to react the way I would. I expect him to react the way any normal person would when a person they care about gets damn near mangled by a car. Guess that tells me where I stand.”
I’ve looked the other way with Abel, accepted things that I would normally never tolerate. Put myself in situations I’ve purposely avoided my entire life. I did it becausehewas different and becauseIwas different with him.
But there has to be a line, doesn’t there? Something that you can’t cross without sacrificing who you are and whatyouwant.
And I think this might be that for me. I can tolerate a lot of things, but him not being here for me when I need him the most? That I can’t accept.
“Peyton.”
“If you’re going to sit here and defend him when he doesn’t have the decency to text me back, don’t.”
“Aaron,” Henna interrupts, popping out of the kitchen. “Don’t.” She shakes her head, stopping him from saying more. “Will you come help me? I can’t get the pickle jar open.”
“You can’t get the pickle jar open?” He turns, giving her a disbelieving look.
“What? Don’t look at me like that. I seriously can’t get it open.”
“And what would you have done if I wasn’t here?” He smiles, heading toward her.
“We wouldn’t have pickles with our sandwiches,” she quips.
I mouth a thank you as Aaron disappears into the kitchen. She replies with a soft smile and a nod before following after him.
