Page 42 of The Pinkie Pact

But as I started to walk, I realized I'd have to face Kara when I got home, and I so didn't want to deal with that. Not yet. I was too upset with her, and I worried I wouldn't be able to control myself and what I said to her.

Why?Whyhad she done that?

Pausing on the sidewalk, I wondered where the hell I could go. I needed space from both Kieran and Kara. My phone buzzed and—speak of the little devil—it was my roommate.

"Sorry about last night. Hope you're okay," she wrote.

I hesitated because, no, I was not okay, and I had no idea what to say. What could possibly be going on in her head? Leaning against the wall of a building, I tried to decide what to do.

My phone buzzed again, and I assumed it was Kara. But instead, it was Bear.

"What are you up to?" he texted, giving me the seed of an idea.

Immediately, I called him, and he picked up on the first ring.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked, his voice surprised. "You've never called me before."

"I know. I'm just... well, having a rough day."

"Aw, I'm sorry. What's going on?"

The sweetness in his voice was exactly what I needed, and I spilled out the whole story to him, not even caring that passersby caught little bits of the drama as they walked near.

When I finished, he asked, "Why don't you crash here for a day or two or however long you need?"

"Really?" That sounded perfect actually.

"Yeah. I have an extra toothbrush. Don't even bother to go home. You're still in Georgetown, right?"

"Right."

"So you can come right over. Skip your classes today. Just text Kara and tell her you ran into me or something."

"Oh, my God, Bear. You're the best."

"You'rethe best. Where are you? I'll come get you."

I walked to the nearest corner and told him the street names.

"Be right there. Just hang tight."

He really was amazing. And once again, I wondered what was wrong with me that I couldn't like himthatway.

***

True to his word, Bear was there—oy, another rhyme—in only a few moments, and he put his big arm around me as we walked back to his place. It was so nice to have a friend whose name didn't start with a K right now.

I had no idea what to expect as we walked up the steps of Bear's brick rowhouse that he said he shared with a bunch of other dudes. But it was actually pretty quiet, and we snuck up to Bear's room which had its own mini-fridge and a huge TV.

The gray, drizzly weather made it the perfect day to skip classes and settle in on Bear's big, comfy bed to watch Netflix and chow down on salty and sweet snacks... exactly what I needed.

At some point, I must have fallen asleep, but the buzzing from my phone woke me up.

"Looks like someone's worried about you," Bear said, propped up on his pillows beside me, his own eyes drowsy with sleep.

My heart leapt as my first thought was Kieran. But no. It was Kara.

"Where are you??? I'm starting to panic!"

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