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“Excuse me?” I questioned.
“You heard me,” she repeated, turning back to a box and ripping it open. “You’re. An. Idiot.”
“Ophelia.”
“No, Madeline. I’m sorry, but you are. You and Milo are meant for each other, and now you're screwing it up.”
“I’m not screwing it up. I’m taking my time to figure out the situation.” My voice was rising as the anger bubbled in my stomach. This was not what I needed right now.
“When you didn’t get into dental school. Who was the person you called?” She tilted her head, not even taking a moment to blink.
I glared at her; she knew the answer.
“When you got accepted into the hygiene program and made top honors, who was there to celebrate with you before I could?”
My glare deepened.
“When you bought this house, who was the first one to move your crap in his truck?”
I looked at my fingers, the anger fizzling into a difference emotion—one I wasn’t ready to confront.
“When you—”
“I get it, Phe…” I shot my gaze back to her. “I get it. Milo. It’s always been Milo.”Don’t cry, don’t cry…
Ophelia heaved a sigh and sat on the bed next to me. “What I’m trying to say is…” She bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes tightly. “Did you know that Clay proposed to me?”
I held in a gasp, not only was she openly talking about Clay, but she had just dropped a bombshell.
“No,” I finally mumbled.
She nodded. “Yeah, about a week before his job offer in Seattle. We were going to move to New York and get this silly little apartment in Manhattan. He promised he would find a job that would allow me to focus on my career all day and that he would cook me dinner at night. He promised he would always be there and that no matter what, I was going to be his girl, his Phe. We weren’t going to tell anyone until he was able to buy a ring and we could set a date, but then he got the job offer in Seattle.
“He asked me to go to Seattle, and I told him I couldn’t, that our life was going to start in New York. Well, apparently…once he got that offer, New York wasn’t worth it anymore. I wasn’t worth it anymore. He chose Seattle. He chose a fancy accountant job over me, and…it killed me.”
I shook my head. “If anything, Phe, it made you stronger.”
“You only saw what I wanted you to see. I hid it well. You, on the other hand, wear your emotions on your sleeve, and I know you love Milo. So why are you choosing your house or your career over him? I can guarantee you there are teeth in Seattle.” Ophelia scooted closer to me, wrapping her arm around my shoulder.
I shook my head. “I’m rooted here,” I grumbled.
She raised an eyebrow and gave me a sly crooked smile. “Rooted? Well, that's the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard you say. Roots can grow in other places.” She rubbed her handon my back and stood, returning to her many boxes. “Don’t let the possibility of a potential move scare you. Nothing is set in stone. Well, except maybe Milo. That guy loves you. He always has, and I know he would choose you in a heartbeat.”
I bit my lip. Everything she was saying made sense. It was crystal clear. Why did it seem so easy on paper, but when I tried to make myself think about it in real time, it was a jumbled mess?
I looked up at Ophelia, who had her arms half in a box, her black hair becoming less and less straight as she moved, the tight curls bouncing back up again.
“Do you regret breaking up with Clay?” I asked, so softly that I was afraid she didn’t hear me.
Ophelia took a breath and stood, her arms now full of hangers. “For a long time, I did, but now…why would I miss someone who didn’t want me that much anyway? I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about him from time to time, but…he’s just a faded memory now.”
“I think I would regret letting Milo go.”
Ophelia’s hips tilted, and she looked at me, a soft smile on her lips. “I think you just made your decision then.”
That night, after all the clothes were hung, and Ophelia had a plan for her workday tomorrow, I lay in my bed and stared at the ceiling fan. My bed felt empty, even though Milo had only shared it a few times. I missed having his body next to mine. I missed feeling his arms reach for me and a soft kiss on the nape of my neck.
I turned and looked at my phone, the wireless charger giving off its blue glow as it sat there untouched. I so badly wanted to call him, tell him everything that was going through my mind, that I wanted to be with him, but I knew all of this needed to be said in person. I sighed and looked back at the fan. I could wait until he got home…right?
