Page 83 of Beneath Cherry Blossom Memories

“I hate it when he hurts. He’s my other testicle, you know?” he cries into Devon’s shoulder because he was the first to hug him. “I don’t go anywhere without it. We’re connected.”

I arch a brow, knowing I should be licking my own wounds, but… “Your othertesticle?”

“YES!” Jorge whines. “We’ve been through everything together. I should be comforting him. He needs me whenever you hurt him, damn it. I have to give him platonic cuddles and feed him Oreos. Man, fuck you, Eli. I’m so…so mad at you. I’d kick your ass, but…but…”

“Jesus Christ,” Kelly mumbles. “That’s enough, Jorge. We get it. We all love Phoenix.” Jorge wails again, loudly, like a dying hippo. “Calm down.”

“I…can’t…help…it,” he bellows dramatically.

And I fuckinglaugh.

I bend over, my laugh so loud that everyone goes silent. It’s horrible, completely inappropriate, but I’ve never seen someone behave like this before, and fuck, if it isn’t hilarious. When I sober up enough to see them all glaring at me, I straighten, wipe my eyes, and grab Jorge’s shoulders. “You, by far, are the best friend anyone could ever hope to have. Please,please, help me fix this,” I tell him, pushing every ounce of conviction into my voice so he knows I mean business.

“But you’re a twat,” he whines.

“I am.”

Jorge sighs dramatically. “What if he doesn’t want you to fix it?”

At that, my confidence falters. He’s right. What if it’s too late? “Then,” I swallow hard, “would you help me do something else?”

I release his shoulders, fumble to get my phone out of my pocket, and pull up my internet searches. I find the website, and when it loads, I hold the screen up for Jorge so he can see it. “Are you for real right now?” he gasps, taking my phone and eyeing it intently.

“Well, yeah. I’ve…researched the place for the last few nights.”

“And you want to do this?”

I nod, stuffing my hands in my hoodie pocket. “I need to.”

“You have to tell Phoenix.”

“He might…he might not care anymore. Not after what I said.”

Jorge shows the rest of his friends my phone, and they all eyeball me like I’ve grown a second head. In unison, they say, “Tell Phoenix.”

Jorge hands me back my phone and says, “We can take you back to Kelly’s, and we can all stay when you do.”

My chest constricts sharply at his offer. “You don’t have to do that,” I whisper, feeling so fucking scared and small.

“Look,” Devon starts, “we all fuck up. Currently, you’re obviously the winner in that category, but this is important. And he deserves to know this is what you plan on doing. Especially since we’re leaving for three months.”

“I agree,” Kelly tacks on.

“Me too,” Michael says.

“You’ve been upfront with us,” Jorge tells me, snagging my eyes from the floor. “And he loves you, Eli. He fucking loves you so damn much it is disgusting. You can’t let him leave the country thinking he doesn’t matter.”

I gulp and nod once. They’re all right.

And I’ve been a monster for too long, been a shitty person for my whole life.

After all that I’ve done and said to Phoenix, he does deserve this, even if he doesn’t care anymore. Even if he’s done with me, I’ll still give him this. It’s all I have left.

It’s my last olive branch.

Tracy: The internet is off.

Elijah, pay the fucking bill.

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