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“What the hell is that idiot doing?” Joey mutters. “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”
“I don’t really understand it either, but I did get the gist of it. He told me he didn’t want to move too fast, but I got all into it and I pushed things. I got too... I was too much. He wasn’t as serious as I was, and then he didn’t know how to slow us down so he... he ended it.”
“No. No way. I don’t believe any of that crap.”
“Joey,” Julianna says in a warning tone.
“No!” Joey continues, her blue eyes fiery, indignant. “The whole thing is absolutely wrong. Chase would never. He’d never slow things down with you, Paige.”
It’s so upsetting—because she’s expressing what I was starting to believe myself—that I cry into my hands for a minute. “He did.”
“It does seem like wires got crossed somewhere.” Julianna’s face is bewildered but thoughtful. “You didn’t accidentally make him think you weren’t really into him, did you?”
“No! I don’t know how I could have. I was... I was...”
Completely vulnerable. Open. For the first time in my life.
“Then the whole thing is a ridiculous mess.” Joey is scowling at an empty spot in the air. “Because the one thing all of us have always known is that Chase is head over heels for you, Paige. He’s always been. Always. If he finally got a shot with you, he’d never say no to it.”
Her words should have given me hope, but they just make everything worse. I wipe my face with my sleeve as it takes a minute to catch my breath enough to speak. “He did. He said no.”
“He’s absolutely lost his mind,” Joey breathes.
Julianna shrugs. “It does seem that way. Maybe try talking to him. I’m telling you. This doesn’t sound right. Wires have definitely gotten crossed somehow.”
“Maybe he thought he wanted me all this time, but then it wasn’t what he thought it would be.”
Joey just shakes her head, still baffled and indignant. Julianna murmurs, “Please talk to him. One more time. For us.”
“I’ll... see.” That’s the best I can do. I gesture toward the block with my house. “I need to...”
“Okay. Hang in there. Don’t give up hope.” Julianna hugs me as she talks, and then Joey hugs me too.
I have given up hope, no matter what they say.
Because Chase told me right to my face that he couldn’t be with me anymore.
And there’s no misunderstanding that.
WHEN I GET TO MY HOUSE, I cry some more. Then wash up and put on a little makeup so I don’t look so blotchy.
I grab Chase’s wrapped present and take it with me as I leave the house.
I’m going to leave this on his porch. Then the last gesture will be done.
It might take some time, but I can move on. Eventually I’ll be able to return to the coffee shop, once seeing Chase won’t be so utterly crushing.
People get their hearts broken all the time.
They get over them.
My throat is hurting when I reach Chase’s house. I hurry up the front walk and the porch steps, leaning over to set the gift by the door. Then I gasp and straighten up with a jerk when the front door opens.
“Paige, honey!” It’s Chase’s grandmother, smiling at me as she steps outside. “What are you doing?”
“I was just leaving this.” I gesture toward the present. “For Chase.”
“I’m sorry you missed him. He’s not here right now.”
