Page 49 of Crazy About Love (All About Love)

Part Two

Theresa

5 YEARS AGO: 7:27P.M.

“I’m not sure I love you anymore.”

The words echo out from the speaker of my phone, fuzzing my ears and disappearing into the dark of the parking lot I’m standing in. I stare into the face of the guy who’s been my boyfriend for four years, my high school sweetheart, my best friend in the entire universe, wishing his somewhat pixilated face would smile and he’d tell me he was messing with me. April Fool and all that. Only it’s February.

“Did you really just say that?” I ask him, looking up from the Facetime app and around the nearly empty lot. Through the glass front doors of the apartment complex, I see Liz’s new boyfriend, Landon, smack the elevator up button and then pull Liz in for a sweet kiss on the nose.

I taste stomach acid on the back of my tongue.

“…it’s college, you know?” Eli’s voice finally breaks through the ear fuzz, and I look back at my phone, hoping to God I don’t cry.

“It’s been one semester,” I say, cursing the crack in my voice. “You’re already ready to give up?”

He shakes his head hard, his long dark hair moving with it. “I’m not saying give up.”

“You just don’t love me.”

“I don’t think I love you enough.”

I scoff, but manage not to chuck my phone across the asphalt. “I’m sorry four years wasn’t long enough for you to fall in love.”

“T, it’s not like that.” He blows out a breath, as if I’m the one making this so damn complicated. If I was going to break up with someone, I’d be clear-cut as hell. Not all thisI love you, but not enough to really love youcrap.

“Then what’s it like, Eli? Are we together still? Because if we are, let me take care of that problem right now.”

He has the balls to laugh.Laugh. Dumbass.

“I’m hanging up.”

“Wait, T. Just wait.” He leans forward. “You are the only girl I’ve loved. We’ve been together since the ninth grade. You’re the first girl I kissed, the first girl I slept with, the first everything, and I like that. It’s why you’re my best friend and why I love you.”

“Let the shoe drop, Eli,” I say impatiently. He smirks, but thank heavens he doesn’t laugh again.

“College is for new experiences, you know? Fun. We should have fun.”

“I thought wewerehaving fun.” I seem to recall a certain sixty-nine kind of fun that happened two nights ago.

“We go to different schools, babe.”

“You live two hours away. It’s not like we’re on different planets.”

He sighs. “It’s not enough for me.”

“And that’s why you’re not sure if you love me anymore. Because you want to boink girls within a ten-foot radius?”

He shuts his bright blue eyes, laughing again like I’m some court jester here for his breakup entertainment. “Why are you making this so hard?”

In another moment I would’ve said,That’s what she said.But I just gape at him and say, “Me?”

“Yeah. You always make me laugh. I love that.”

“Stop saying love.” Love-abuser. “Just get to your damn point.”

His smile gets less obvious, but it’s still there. I equally hate it and love it. I know if I was physically in his presence, I might be somewhat smiling too. That’s what happens when you’re in love with your best friend—everything is fun. Apparently even the breakup part.

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