Page 88 of Actually Yours

“So?” he splutters. “So, you guys can’t be together. It’s wrong.”

My stomach flips as he articulates what I’d been grappling with for all these weeks. The obstacle I’ve finally gotten over.

“Robby, did you dump me? Out of the blue and then ghost me for six months?”

He doesn’t respond, his mouth set in a mutinous line.

“And did you, or did you not cheat on me several times during our brief relationship?”

His face reddens and he looks down while Jake lets out a growl.I knew it! What a cheating jerk.

“And do you currently have a girlfriend? Who you were with when you left me that note? Proving that you cannot be trusted, not by me, and certainly not by the poor girl you’re currently with.”

Robby’s mouth opens and closes, like he’s a dead fish gasping for air.

“So, given all of this, do you think you have one leg to stand on when questioning me or your brother, who, by the way, is the most upstanding man I’ve ever met?” I ask this last question with an anger like I’ve never known swirling around my brain. My anger is so hot, I’m seeing red dots dance in front of my eyes.How dare Robby ever question the integrity of someone like Jake? It’s ridiculous.

“It’s still not right,” he mutters, his tone belligerent. “Isn’t there some sort of bro code?”

He’s looking at his brother and Jake’s lack of response has doubt creeping up my spine.Why isn’t he saying anything? Why isn’t he standing up for me? For us?

“Amelia,” Jake finally speaks up, addressing me instead of his brother. “I think I need to talk to Robby.”

His voice is flat, so I can’t read into what he means.Does he want space to talk to Robby to plead our case? Or does he want me to go, so he can make amends with his brother, effectively kicking me to the curb?

“Um, ok?” I lock eyes with his, desperately trying to read his thoughts. “You want me to go?”

He gives me a pained look—finally, some emotion—and nods. “I think it’s for the best.”

What’s for the best?my brain screams.

“OK,” I say out loud. “I’ll order an Uber.”

The three of us remain standing in position as I order and then wait for my ride, the silence dripping with tension.

“It’s here, waiting for me outside.” I show my app to Jake, not knowing what else to do with my hands, and walk to the door. Before I open the front door, I turn to look at Robby, who embodies everything I’ve been doing wrong in the love department for the longest time and something snaps in me.

“Robby,” I start, my voice trembling. “You may think you have the moral high ground here, but you really don’t. You treated me terribly when we were together and I let you. That’s on me. But I know better and I will choose better.” I glance at Jake whose eyes are shining at me. “You need to grow up and learn that actions have consequences. This is your consequence, you lost me. A loyal, amazing, funny, loving woman. And your loss will be another man’s gain. I just hope that that man is your brother.” I pull in a mouthful of air, my knees shaking.Did I really just say all of that?Jake’s stunned expression suggests I did.

“And one other thing.” My Uber driver honks the horn, and I open the front door and wave to him. “I am over you. And that, my friend, is closure.”

With my oh-so-excellentFriendsreference ringing in my ears (Bella is going to love this, we recently binged all ten seasons and loved this Rachel Green moment), I flounce out of the house with Jake hot on my heels.

“I’m sorry about all of this.” He takes my wrist in his strong hand, halting all my fabulous flouncing.

“It’s OK.” I glance back to where Robby is still standing, his jaw on the floor. “I know you have a lot to sort through here. I’ll go.”

He nods but doesn’t let me go. I look up at him and wait for his next move.Has he changed his mind? Does he want me to stay? How does he feel about me? About Robby? About this entire mess?

“I’ll call you.” He says nothing to assuage my fears.

Blinking tears away, my girl power moment well and truly behind me, I take a step away from him, only then realising what I still have clutched in my hand.How had I forgotten the Christmas card?

I hand over what is now a crumpled mess of red cardboard paper with some soggy, smudged writing on the envelope. “Here, take this.”

He frowns down at it. “What is it?”

I shove it at him before I lose the nerve. My heart is written in that card, and it scares the life out of me to give it to him. Especially now, in light of the Robby debacle.

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