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She raises her hand for a high five, which Carm and Enzo return. “Seriously, you need to clear up this thing with Val. She’s miserable.”
I spin in Blanca’s direction. “You saw her?”
She points at me. “See? That right there. That face says you need to stop this charade and just figure it out. You’re perfect together.”
“You lied?” Enzo asks, smirking.
Blanca shrugs and nods.
Enzo high-fives her. “Well played.”
The waitress comes over and we all order.
As soon as she’s stepped away from the table, Blanca starts in on me again. “Seriously though, you love her. Why are you doing this to yourself and her?”
“I feel like I’m on repeat. We’re not good together.” I push a hand through my hair, sick of this line of conversation.
“Give it another try,” Carm says.
“I fuck it up with her every time. I stupidly let her go when we were young and lived thirteen years without her. Just when I had her back, I let her go again to give her a second chance with her ex. And this time…”
“You’re letting her go. It’s on you. You’re not fighting to keep her. For someone so smart, how do you not learn from your mistakes?” Blanca throws her hands into the air, apparently exasperated.
The boys let her take the lead, which makes me wonder if they actually did the rock, paper, scissors thing.
“It’s too late,” I grumble, looking around for the waitress and wondering where my drink is.
“I get it. It’s scary to put yourself out there. And I’ve never met anyone worth it but look at these two.” She motions to Carm and Enzo. “Look how happy they are.”
They both put on exaggerated grins.
“I’m happy.”
“You’re not happy,” all three say in unison.
“You were when you were with Val.” Blanca pulls out her phone and her thumbs run over the screen until she thrusts it in my direction. “Look at these fools in love.”
I stare at a picture from Luca’s wedding. Val in my arms, smiling, and the two of us looking at one another. I was happy. Happy to have her back in my arms where I always thought she belonged.
“Cut the bullshit and go get her back,” Carm says.
“She’ll never take me. I accused her of wanting Max back. I didn’t show up at Ryder’s game. She doesn’t think I believe in us.”
“Funny you should mention Ryder.” Blanca looks away from the table.
All three of them get up and head over to the bar. Ryder turns around on a bar stool then makes his way over and sits down across from me.
“Shit, my siblings schooled me.”
He nods. “They did.”
“Does your mom know you’re here?”
He shakes his head.
“You shouldn’t be involved in this.”
“I reached out to Blanca on Instagram.” He stares at the table for a minute then looks at me. “I get that I have no idea what your history is with my mom. I know there’s something, because my parents fought about you a lot. My mom has a shoebox on the top shelf of her closet, filled with pictures of the two of you. She has letters and notes that you guys wrote to each other in high school. There was a time I wished my parents could stay married, but not now. They’re not the ones who should be together. That’s you and her. If it’s about me, I’m going to college in two years.”
