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“I hope not. These wings are amazing.”
After I broke the news that I was going to accept a job offer in Seattle, Claire pouted. She was thoroughly upset that I would be moving away from LA and leaving our cozy little lives behind, even though those changes after graduation would be inevitable. Everything is changing a mile a minute, and with this new job offer, I finally feel optimistic instead of scared.
Still, with the forged optimism that I “hadn’t accepted the job yet” and hoping that I may change my mind, Claire quickly moved on to happier topics. We glazed over our graduation outfits, wedding plans, and just how many wings we could eat before we actually exploded.
With our fingers and mouths covered in sauce, we’re interrupted by the waitress bringing us more drinks. A frosty whipped-cream-topped strawberry milkshake lands right in front of me.
“I ordered that for you,” Austin says over my shoulder with a wink.
“Oh, thank you,” I say quietly.
The last time I had a milkshake was with Rhylan. I’ve been staying away from them since then. Memories of the quaintly lit dance floor mingling with fifties era music flood my mind. My fingertips graze my lips, thinking of the strawberry and vanilla flavored kisses Rhylan and I shared. No matter how hard I try to forget him, I can’t.
The TV screen goes to a commercial break, and the boys turn their attention back to us.
“This game’s going to go into overtime,” Wes comments.
“Yeah, unless the Lakers get their shit together.” Austin looks over at me, smiling with BBQ sauce smeared across the corner of his mouth.
“You have a little something…” I point to his mouth and smile.
“Oh, thanks.” He wipes the opposite corner. “Did I get it?”
I cover my mouth and laugh, trying my best not to embarrass him. “No, the other side. Here, let me.”
I wipe the sauce with a napkin, and his smile never leaves his face, only growing wider as I affectionately clean him up.
“Thanks!” He continues on with his wings, getting even more sauce on the edges of his mouth and all over his fingers, causing me to roll my eyes.
We all look at the TV screen when a trailer forUnrestrainedcomes on and images of Rhylan flash through the thirty-second commercial.
“I’ve been wanting to see that. I heard Rhylan Matthews is amazing in it,” Austin claims.
Our table falls silent as Claire, Wes, and I share a set of stiff glances.
“What?” Austin asks nervously, sensing the awkward shift.
“We don’t talk about Rhylan Matthews,” Claire answers for all of us.
“What?” Austin asks again with a laugh, which quickly fades when he realizes it’s not a joke. “I’m sorry. Did I miss something?”
We all continue to remain quiet until I finally speak, breaking the awkward tension that has settled right over our wings and beers.
“Remember I told you that I was seeing someone recently?”
Austin nods.
“I was seeing Rhylan Matthews.”
His eyes go wide. “What!”
I quickly cut him off, bringing my hands up between us. “It was nothing. Like I said, it ended really fast. But we just don’t really talk about him.”
“Ellie, I don’t know why you downplay it,” Claire says to me. She turns to Austin. “He broke her heart.”
I flinch at her words, even though she’s right.
Austin takes a moment to absorb this new detail of information. He raises his hands, palms facing me in surrender. “Okay, we don’t talk about Rhylan Matthews.”
