Page 14 of June

“She met someone else, Jodie.”

“I know. I just loved her. I thought we would still be together, you know?”

“There’s someone else out there for you.”

“Maybe,” Jodie said. “Want to hear something messed up, though?”

“Sure.”

“I stalk her on social, as one does with their ex,” Jodie revealed, making Caroline laugh. “Anyway, she’s been with her new girlfriend for a year. They just posted pictures from their apartment. They live together now.”

“Wow. Really?”

“When she and I talked about what we wanted, she kept telling me that she wanted to maybe move inaftercollege. She said she wasn’t sure about marriage and that it might not be her thing. I was cool with that because I’m still young and not looking to get married yet or anything. Now, she’s living with her girlfriend? And get this: in one of the pictures, there’s a magazine on their table, Care. Guess what’s on the cover.”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s a woman in a wedding dress because it’s a bridal magazine.”

“That doesn’t mean they’re–”

“Why else would they have that?”

“I don’t know, but–”

“Oh, hi.”

Caroline heard the voice, so she looked ahead on the sidewalk and saw Viv walking toward them.

“Hey, Viv,” Jodie greeted.

“Hi,” she replied quietly. “Heading out?”

“Lunch. Yeah. Want to join us?” Jodie asked.

Caroline kept the smile on her face but rolled her eyes internally.

“Oh, that’s okay. I don’t want to impose.”

“Impose? It’s just tacos,” Caroline said. “You should come.”

“I’m buying,” Jodie added.

“Really?” Viv asked, looking at Caroline as if to check if it was okay with her.

Caroline felt bad instantly. She didn’t want things to be awkward between them, and they had to live together for at least the next couple of months in a room that was hardly big enough for one of them. Viv was a good person, too. She was smart and could be funny when she wasn’t really trying to be.

“Yeah, come on,” Caroline replied. “I’m driving.”

“Um… Okay.”

The walk to the car was awkward because the sidewalk couldn’t fit all three of them side by side, so Caroline walked behind Jodie and Viv, who talked a little. Then, Jodie climbed in the back seat, which left Viv to take the passenger’s seat. Caroline wasn’t sure if she’d ever been in the car with Viv, but she couldn’t remember a time when they’d driven somewhere together. As she pulled out of the lot and into traffic, Jodie kept the conversation flowing enough from the back seat that Caroline could mostly just nod and focus on driving while Jodie entertained herself and talked to Viv.

When they got to the restaurant, they placed their orders at the counter and took the number to go sit in a booth after getting their own drinks from the soda machine. Then, Caroline sat down and wasn’t all that surprised when Viv sat down on her side.

“I’m going to run to the bathroom,” Jodie said and left her drink on the table before walking off.

“Did you and Jodie have fun last night?” Viv asked.

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