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“Yes, it is,” she pushed. “It seems like the universe is throwing the two of you back together because you have unfinished business.”
“Oh please,” I said sarcastically as I poured myself a very large glass of moscato. “You want?”
She nodded. “I’m just saying… You come back for the summer, then he mysteriously shows back up here for the first time in years?”
“No, it’s not like that. He didn’t come back here for me. He wouldn't even be thinking of me if he didn’t get hurt,” I told her, also trying to beat that sense into myself. “Besides, I need to focus on work and finding a partner this summer, and he’ll just distract me then leave. You and I both know that.”
She scrunched up her face in disbelief. “Work? The kiddie camp? Aren’t you just doing that to offset the cost of your own ice time?”
I shot her a glare.
She sighed. “Okay, forget I said anything. Porch?”
I nodded and followed her out the sliding door of the apartment. Almost every night since I’d been back, Addie and I sat outside with some wine and watched the sunset. Our apartment was tiny, but overlooked Northfield’s nicest golf course, and I loved it.
“This is the life,” I said, stretching out on our frumpy outdoor loveseat.
“We didn't do so bad, did we?” She clinked her wine glass against mine with a small smile.
“You’re doin’ amazing. Not sure about myself,” I snorted. “Thanks for letting me move in with you.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said confidently… but I could tell she still wanted to say something else.
“What?” I demanded.
“Nothing,” she responded in a high-pitched voice.
“You’re not saying something!” I accused.
“Okay… I just wanted to say, you guys are older now. Things are different. I’d never say this in front of dad because he pushes way too hard, but I think it’d be nice for the two of you to get closure on the whole situation. And I just don’t want you to close your mind off completely,” she said innocently.
“Whatever.” I muttered. I should’ve known she would harp on the whole Duke situation.
Regardless of what she thought and regardless of what my stupid heart felt, I knew closing my mind off to him was exactly what I needed to do. Because I knew how this would play out, and I refused to put myself in the position to cry myself to sleep over him ever again.
6.Duke
You’d think the elementary school woulda warned the middle school about the two of us and our ongoing war… but nope. And now we were stuck in the very same stupid first hour together.
I sensed her sitting kinda behind me, off to the right.
She was yawning.
I hated that I knew that, but I did.
I knew where she was at all times. It was like she had a beacon system in her stupid, pretty, blonde hair that signaled just for me… She wore it in a braid today. It looked cute like that–
Nope. No.
She was annoying, not cute, I sternly told myself.
I pretended to watch my buddy Luke go to the pencil sharpener, but really, it just gave me a chance to look at her for a couple seconds without anyone catching me and accusing me of liking her again.
She was closing her eyes tightly like she was willing herself to open them up and be more awake… which didn’t make sense to me because it was still the beginning of the day. How could she already be tired?
But she always was… Ever since the first day of school, which was six days ago.
Every morning, all I could think about was her… I noticed every time her name was called for attendance. I noticed the way she said “here” like she’d rather be anywhere else. But sadly, I never noticed when she dipped… but she always did.
