Page 92 of Home in Nevada

She glares, her jaw dropping slightly in mock offense. “You were going to order pizza, Jeffrey...”

“No, I wasn’t. You’re insane when you’re drunk,” I snap, still holding the phone to my ear. “You just threw up because you drank too much, and now you want pizza?”

“Yeah. Why is this so hard for you to understand?!” she shouts, throwing her arms up dramatically. She looks up at the ceiling like I’m the dumbest person alive, then drops her arms with a huff.

I sigh, mutter my tearful goodbyes to Jamie, and hang up. When I walk back into the living room, Lucy’s sprawled out on the couch, staring at the ceiling like it’s got all the answers.

“What’s up? Did you order pizza?” she asks, her voice calm now.

“Yeah,” I say, sitting on the edge of the couch and nudging her legs back into the cushions.

She shifts, propping her head on her hand as she glances at me. “You know... Some nights, I want to call Nichole too.”

There it is. I knew something was up.

“The time difference sucks,” she continues. “She’s three hours ahead, and it feels like we can never make it work.”

“It’ll be fine,” I say, giving her a reassuring smile and placing my hand on hers. “Hey, aren’t you graduating soon?”

She smiles softly, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yeah.”

“You moving? Closer to Nichole?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.

“Maybe... Maybe I am, Jeff…” She hesitates, and the look on her face is like a punch to the gut. It’s like admitting this out loud physically hurts her.

I smirk, trying to keep it light for both of us. “I thought so. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t want you to think I was leaving you,” she says quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “But... I can’t do this anymore, Jeff. Not if I don’t have to.”

I nod, swallowing the lump that’s suddenly lodged in my throat. “I get it. Trust me.” My voice cracks a little as I squeeze her hand tighter, anchoring us both.

She’s been acting off all night, and now it all makes sense. She’s been holding onto this, dreading telling me. I can see how much she’s struggling, and it hits me harder than I expected. My chest feels tight, my eyes sting, and I realize just how much I’m going to miss her.

“You’ve gotta do what’s best for you,” I say softly, hoping she knows I mean it. “And I’ll be okay. I promise.”

Lucy leans back, staring at the ceiling again, but she intertwines her fingers with mine as I scoot closer.

“I promise that if and when I do leave... we’ll still hang out. We’ll still talk and text... and see each other.”

“I know,” I say, chuckling a little. “Lucy, this long-distance stuff isn’t new to me anymore.” It still sucks, though.

Why do the people I care about always end up so far away?

“...Please don’t hate me,” she says, her voice wavering.

“I’ve already done that before,” I joke, grinning when it gets a laugh out of her. Who would’ve thought one of my exes cheating on me with her would lead to this? Back then, it broke both of us, but now she’s like a sister to me. It’s wild, but maybe things really do happen for a reason.

I nudge her hand, meeting her gaze. “You go get your girl, Lucy.”

Chapter 22

The one where Jeff goes all in.

WhenIstepoffthe plane in Reno that Friday night, I’m nervous as all hell. My stomach’s in knots, and I’m sweating like I just ran a marathon. Before I left LA, I did something big—huge—and I have no idea how Jamie’s going to react.

Jamie picks me up at the airport, and as we’re driving, I notice something’s off. He’s turned left onto a side street instead of heading right toward his apartment like usual.

“That’s the wrong way... Where are you going?” I ask, side-eyeing him.

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