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The dots, indicating Hannah was typing more, wiggled on my screen, then stopped. It was a long pause, but she started writing again.
Hannah: There is one more thing, but you need to hear it from her.
Hannah: Maybe you could, I don’t know…
Hannah: CALL HER???
Lucas: I can’t. I promised her I’ll wait until she’s ready.
Hannah: You two are idiots.
That day I went home and asked my mother if she knew something about the Hartleys family dinner. I knew one gathering could push Clem over the edge. Whatever that edge she was standing at was.
“Lucas, Clem has issues that are beyond your relationship.”
“I know,” I hissed.
“Give her space.”
“That’s what I’ve been doing!” I shouted out of frustration. She covered my hand with hers.
“I know you’re hurting, but she’s confused and I’m not sure she’ll be able to give you what you need.”
“You don’t get it,” I shook my head. “We were good. And then I told her I loved her, and she just…It was like she couldn’t handle that. Like it was the worst thing on earth.”
“Relationships are hard. You are young, and maybe she’s just not ready for that. You have to respect her choice. She has to do what’s best for her. And you have to do the same.”
I stood up and left the conversation at that. I couldn’t stand listening any more of the breakup hints my mother was dropping.
Clementine didn’t close her curtains anymore, but she obviously spent most of her time in another room because I only caught her in hers twice. It was in the middle of the night. She pretended she didn’t see me, turned off the lights, and went to bed.
I wasn’t sleeping much. Days blended into each other.
“You look like shit,” Chase murmured on Friday morning.
“I feel like one too,” I was beyond hiding my feelings now.
Two days ago, Chase sent me a picture. Clem and Dylan sitting on the beach. I didn’t blink that night. I knew the lack of sleep was making me irrational. I was barely holding on to the promise I gave Clementine. I was about to let go and just go confront her. I was planning on waiting for her by her car after classes. She had to talk to me eventually and for me eventually was today.
I was sulking and playing in my head an imaginary conversation between me and Clem. I just couldn’t figure out what got her so upset that she couldn’t just be a normal human being and tell me she loved me too. Because I knew she did. I felt it when we were together even though she never said it. And she was still wearing my necklace. Every day.
Chase was sweet-talking a girl that I could swear I was seeing for the first time when Amy appeared next to us. We were standing in the hallway. Chase and I had a class together. I just needed to wait for the asshole to finish his move on this chick.
“Did you hear?” Amy sing sang in my ear. “Guess who has a thing with some old dude in England?”
Chase and I ignored her. Spreading gossip was never our thing. But the girl whose name I didn’t know was interested, and she leaned forward waiting to hear everything.
“Clementine Hartley.”
My heart stopped beating for a second with the mentioning of her name.
“Bullshit,” I cut her off. “Stop spreading rumors.”
“Oh, it’s not a rumor. It’s true. I heard it from a trustworthy source.”
I rolled my eyes. I had enough of this stupid war Amy was leading against Clementine.
“He’s a designer,” I started explaining not even sure why. Probably to save Clem from the embarrassment of that stupid gossip. “He helps her with her jewelry making thing. My mom introduced them. Check your sources next time you decide to talk shit.”
