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“See, she was missing you.”
Avery snorts. “Probably mad because she thinks I took her boyfriend out.”
I roll my eyes.
“It’s okay, Meredith. Jon was being grumpy, so we had to come home.”
“I was not being grumpy.”
“You were. I don’t know what’s happening with you but thank you for the ride home.”
“You don’t know what is going on with me? I told you.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“Why do you think that I wanted you to leave?
She sighs, a sound filled with weary loneliness. “Don’t worry about it, roomie.”
“No, I think we do.”
She shakes her head and turns toward the kitchen. “I feel like some cereal.”
I grab her wrist and pull her back. “Stop trying to distract me. Tell me why you think we left.”
Her shoulders sag. “You’re worried I’ll embarrass your grandmother.”
I blink. “That’s not it at all.”
“Okay.”
I can tell by the tone in her voice that she doesn’t believe me. Trying to deny my real reasons for wanting to leave made her think worse. I don’t know why, but that hurts my heart.
“You cannot embarrass a Howard. My Uncle Monty likes to get drunk and wear his underwear on his head.”
She blinks and looks up at me. “You’re making that up.”
I shake my head. “True story. You can ask my grandmother. It’s the reason he’s not invited to events anymore.”
“Still, then, why did we leave? It isn’t about Ford because, truthfully, he’s not my type.”
“I…”
Then I say nothing. I can’t. She’s looking up at me. We’re so close that I can feel the heat of her. She sighs again and turns to leave. For some reason, I think I will lose something vital if I let her step away from me. Something I need to survive. Panic races through me.
“I was jealous.”
She stops and looks over her shoulder at me. “You don’t have to lie.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Okay, sure.”
Then she pulls her arm away, and for a brief second, I don’t react. “I was.”
“Okay.”
I need her to understand what is going on with me—even if I have no idea myself, so I grab her wrist again and tug her back, crowding her against the wall.
