Page 13 of No One Else

“It didn’t,” she insists, looking at the three of us like we’re accusing her of something.

“Your wannabe boyfriend,” Samantha amends, pulling her lunch out of her bag. “Michael.”

“Oh, him.” She picks up her chopsticks again, letting her hair fall forward to curtain her face. “I have a class with him too. But he’s not my boyfriend.”

“Yet,” Samantha says devilishly.

“Please put Eden out of her misery and tell her you don’t have some devious plan in mind for her,” I laugh, taking a bite of my sandwich.

“Okay, I won’t tell her about my plan.”

Eden groans, resting her head down on top of her arm on the table, and Charlotte and I laugh.

I’m so lucky I have the three of them still. After breaking up with Carter, I realized how isolated I’d become. All of my “friends” were girlfriends of his frat brothers, and they all took his side when we split.

I’d met other people the beginning of freshman year, but had eventually drifted away from all of them because Carter never wanted to hang out with them. And stupid me had gone along with it, not even realizing what was happening.

If not for the four of us having Sociology together last semester and forming the study group, I wouldn’t have them now to rely on either. And I’m not letting them go. We don’t have any classes together this semester, but I’m organizing time during our class breaks for us all to stay in touch. I need more friendships in my life.

Including Evan. It really seems like we can be friends again and put the past behind us.

“I regret ever pointing Michael out to you now,” Eden grumbles, sitting up again to finish her sushi.

I take pity on her and change the subject. “So, you’ll never guess whoIhave a class with.” I wait until everyone’s attention is off Eden and announce, “Evan.”

Samantha and Charlotte sport matching winces. Eden glances between the two of them, confusion on her face. “That’s Luke’s friend, right? The one you work with?”

I nod, realizing I told her that Carter and I broke up, but not what happened at Empire. For that matter, I never told Charlotte either. How does she know?

Oh wait, Evan said he told Luke. Of course nothing’s secret between Charlotte and him.

“So, the night after the whole incident with Carter, Samantha and I went to Empire. And Evan was there and we kind of ended up... making out.”

“Oh, wow,” she breathes, elbows on the table leaning closer to me.

“And then he told me he loved me.”

“What?!” Her eyes are wide behind her glasses, the most animated I’ve ever seen her. “What did you do?”

“I flipped out on him,” I admit, still slightly ashamed of my behavior even though every time I think back on it, it was justified. “I mean, I had literally just broken up with Carter. I couldn’t handle anything else right then.”

Her mouth forms a round O, hands coming up to cover her cheeks, as if she’s embarrassed by proxy.

“How’s it been at work?” Charlotte asks, sympathy bleeding through her voice.

“Well, I took off two weeks around Christmas to go back home. And since then we’ve been busy so we haven’t really had a chance to interact. But you haven’t heard the best part yet. We’re paired together as partners for a big project in our Marketing class.”

The table is silent until Samantha drops her fork with a loud clang. “No,” she breathes. “Oh, this is all my fault. If I hadn’t invited him to Empire that night, none of this would’ve happened.”

“It’s fine,” I assure her. “Really. I’m a big girl. I can handle it. Besides, we’re both past it. We talked about it and things are all good.”

“Things are all good?” Charlotte repeats skeptically.

“Yeah. He said he wants to start fresh. That’s what I want too.”

I stuff the last of my sandwich in my mouth, turning my focus away from their gazes.

I’d only seen Evan from a distance at work since I’ve been back. But when he unexpectedly walked into class yesterday, my initial reaction hadn’t been awkwardness or embarrassment or any of the emotions I’d anticipated upon seeing him up close and personal again.

---