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1
BRIELLE
The airport is bustling with activity, and I clutch my phone tightly to my ear as I weave through the crowd. My eyes scan the signs above me for directions while Callie’s excited voice chatters in my ear.
“God, Brielle, I can’t believe you’re actually coming back home! It feels like it’s been forever!”
Two years is way too long to not see my best friend. There’s so much I have to tell her, so much she’s missed while I’ve been away.
I smile, feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement bubble up inside me. “I know, Callie. I’m nervous, though. What if everything’s changed since I left for New York?”
“Of course things have changed,” she reassures me, her tone comforting. “But that doesn’t mean they’re bad. You’ll see when you get here.”
“Is there anything I should know before I land?” I ask hesitantly.
Callie goes quiet for a moment, and I know from experience that her silence means trouble. My best friend is usually quite the chatterbox. “Spill it, Cal. What’s going on?”
“Ugh, fine. I didn’t want to say anything until you got here, but…Jamie’s seeing someone else.”
My heart drops, and I feel my stomach twist into knots. “What? When did that happen?” My voice trembles as I try to process the unexpected news.
“Sorry, Brie. I wasn’t sure how to tell you,” Callie apologizes, genuine concern in her voice. “And, well…he’s dating Marina Turner.”
“Wait, what?” I stammer, my heart pounding in my chest as I try to process Callie’s words. “Marina Turner? You can’t be serious.”
Marina Turner. He couldn’t have picked a worse girl to try and get back at me with.
“Unfortunately, I am,” she sighs. “And it gets worse—they’re not just dating, they’re engaged.”
She’s right. It does get worse.
I stagger to the nearest row of chairs and sink down into one, barely noticing the cold, hard plastic against my thighs. My mind races, thoughts blurring together as I struggle with this new reality. Jamie—my Jamie—is going to marry Marina Turner, a girl who was once one of my closest friends. The betrayal cuts me to the core.
I guess I can’t really call him “mine” anymore. I’m the one who left.
“Earth to Brielle.” Callie’s voice breaks through my reverie, pulling me back to the present. “Are you still there?”
“Sorry,” I apologize, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. “I just…zoned out.”
“Understandable,” she says kindly. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself before I speak again. The cold plastic seat beneath me does little to offer comfort as I adjust my posture. “Honestly, you’re taking this a lot better than I thought you would.”
“Callie, I know it’s not fair for me to be upset about this. I mean, I’m the one who broke up with Jamie,” I admit, my voice wavering slightly.
“Whoa, hold on,” Callie interjects, her tone firm. “Broke up is putting it mildly. You fled to New York without telling anyone after he proposed, because you were scared of commitment.”
It sounds harsh when she puts it like that.
“Okay, okay,” I concede, raising a hand defensively. “No need to remind me. You know, you don’t always have to say everything on your mind.”
“Hey, I’m just keeping it real.” She chuckles, and I can’t help but smile at the familiar sound. “That’s why you keep me around, right?”
“Of course,” I respond, my heart swelling with gratitude for my best friend. “But still, maybe consider what I said.”
“Fine,” Callie sighs, relenting. “I’m sorry, Brie. I know this isn’t what you want to hear right now.”
“No, it’s okay,” I reply, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Honestly, I’m not sure what I expected. I hurt him, so it makes sense that he’d move on.”
I had an insane notion that he was going to wait for me until I came back. That’s not even fair to ask of him.
