Page 98 of Small Town Firsts

The feeling of dampness on my cheeks blankets the rage simmering in my veins.Am I seriously crying over this? Over him?No. Nope. No way. I didn’t cry when he ditched me the first time around and I’m not about to start now.

Unwilling to waste my tears on an almost hook-up with a pretty-boy who probably has a different bimbo warming his sheets every weekend, I snatch my phone off the charging dock and text Stacia a911message, knowing she’ll have to respondno matter what. That’s our code, and Lord knows, she’s sent me enough of them over the years.

ME

911!!

STACIA

REALLY? WHY? WHAT?

ME

LATE BREAKFAST BEFORE MY CLASS?

STACIA

BENNY’S?

ME

DUH.

STACIA

I’LL PARK AT YOURS AND WE CAN WALK TOGETHER.

Fifteen minutes later, I’m dressed in my most favorite cut-off denim shorts and a loose-fitting crop top that reads ‘But first coffee’across the front, waiting in the lobby for Stacia. Luckily, I’ve only been waiting a few minutes when she strolls through the door. “Ready?”

“Yup. Let’s go.”

We exit the lobby, and Stacia pounces before I can even take a step from under the awning. “Why the 911 text?”

“I…ugh. It’s so stupid.”

Stacia turns to face me, her eyes glowing with intrigue. “Seriously, talk to me. I can’t help if I don’t know.”

I pinch my eyes shut and suck in a deep breath of fresh air and slowly blow it out before pulling her behind me and onto the sidewalk. Once we’re on our way toward Benny’s, I launch intowhy I summoned her, not skipping over a single detail. “So, as you can see, I messed up.”

“Oh AJ,” Stacia murmurs, her voice full of sympathy. “Don’t get mad at me, okay?” She pauses and I nod. “Did you really mess up though?”

I scrunch my nose at her question. “What do you mean? Of course I did. I almost slept with Brock!”

“No, I heard you. Now, hear me. He’s not some rando dude from the bar. He’s not married or in a relationship. Sure, y’all have a tumultuous history, but maybe it’s not such a bad thing?”

Ugggh.I massage my temples, contemplating ways to make her see things my way.“How? How can you say that? He’s…him, and I’m…me. We’re so totally opposite, and we can hardly stand each other for more than five minutes at a time!”

“C’mon now, girl. You know as well as I do that opposites attract. And anyone with eyes can see how fine he is. Not to mention, you’re always saying you want that crazy kind of love…”

Her words leave me a little stunned and I almost walk into a bench. “Right. But I don’t love Brock. I borderline hate him.”

Stacia tsks me. “There’s a fine line between love and hate, AJ.”

“That may be so, but I can guarantee you, there’s no love between us. Lust? Sure. Love? Never. Not ever in a million years.”

Smirking, she sing-songs, “Never say never, bitch!”

“Enough about this. I need a change of subject.” I quicken my pace to an almost speed-walk. “And some bacon in my belly, pronto!”

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