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“I’ll need it.”
She waved goodnight and turned around. I watched her head inside and made sure she closed the door behind her. Then I headed to Emme’s house, texting her to tell her that I was on my way.
The Van Der Stratus lived in a wealthier area of Blue Creek, on a cul de sac, where the houses were a little farther apart and were all surrounded by picket fences or walls of shrubbery. My truck stood out like a sore thumb among the fancy cars and SUVs.
Emmeline saw my truck pull up and bounced out of the house to meet me in the front yard. I got out of the car and Emme kissed me hello.
“I didn’t expect you to come by tonight,” she said. “What’s going on?”
I sighed and took her hand, my expression pretty neutral.
“Luke?”
“Emme, I don’t really know how to say this nicely, so I’m just going to say it,” I started. “I think we should break up.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry. I mean, I think we just want different things, don’t we?”
“I’ve told you a million times what I want, Luke,” she said.
“I know. You want to stay in Blue Creek and go to school here. But that’s not what I want. It never has been.”
“Oh, come on. You’ll come around.”
“You keep saying that, Emme. But the truth is that I want something more from my life.”
She crossed her arms over her chest.
“More than being with me?” she asked indignantly.
I didn’t really know how to answer that. She was angry and heartbroken, and it was my fault. I braced myself, preparing to weather her outrage like a man.
“What is it, Luke? What is so fucking important that you want to break off a two-year relationship?”
“I’m, um, I’m going into the Marines.”
“You’re kidding me!” she shouted. “You want to ship yourself overseas and get killed?”
“Don’t say it like that.”
“What other way is there to say it? Is being with me so horrible that you’d rather run off to a fucking active war zone.”
“Emmeline.”
Emme narrowed her eyes and pouted, which bothered me. Mostly because she was used to sticking out her bottom lip and getting whatever she wanted from me.
“Emme, that’s not going to work this time,” I told her. “I mean, I’m so sorry that I hurt you. But…”
“This is abouther, isn’t it?” she spat.
“About who?”
“Don’t bullshit me, Luke. This is about Cindy.”
“What?”
“Ugh,” she scoffed. “Just stop. That gross little tomboy has been in love with you forever.”
