Page 36 of The Promposal

“That is none of your business.”

“My sister thinks it was since she lost her phone. I believe the opposite.” He shifted from one foot to another, looking like he just wanted to escape. It was also his tell. I didn’t know why I had to know; I just did. Maybe it was because I was tired of all the not-truths in my life. “You don’t need to lie to me. I won’t tell her either way because I would never hurt her like that, but just be honest.”

He paused, considering my request. “For a few weeks. Bronte gets me.”

The implication, of course, being that Ella and I didn’t get him. I didn’t even feel any satisfaction that I’d been right. If I was a better person, I’d want him to be happy. But part of me hoped that Bronte would dump him.

Then he walked off, without saying goodbye to me. It was probably our final conversation, and it hadn’t really ended. I hoped that Ella had gotten the closure she wanted at least. I watched him go, dealing with the warring emotions inside of me. Some piece of me was relieved that it was over. That I didn’t have to think or worry about him anymore.

Another part felt so sad. I supposed some friendships were meant to die and not last forever. Like I somehow always knew in the back of my mind that our friendship wouldn’t last past high school. Especially with him going to college on the East Coast and me staying out here in LA.

It was hard to believe we weren’t friends any longer. But we weren’t enemies, either. I could never really hate him.

Which essentially made us like strangers. But with shared memories.

“Just a footnote,” I murmured to myself.

But that didn’t make it any less painful.

In my next class with Ella, I had to wait for the end of class bell to ring before I could confront my sister. “You talked to Trent last night?”

“I did.”

And she didn’t even have the decency to look embarrassed. “And you didn’t tell me why exactly?”

“I don’t know. I’m still kind of processing it. And honestly, there’s not much to tell. I told him he hurt me, and he didn’t really say much in response. It was just a chance for me to express how he made me feel, and he ... let me. How did you know we talked?”

“Because I had the pleasure of chatting him up today.” I filled her in on my conversation with him and the realizations that I had come to. That not only was she done with him as a boyfriend, but we were both done with him as friends as well.

“You never know,” my eternal optimist sister said. “Maybe someday.”

“Maybe,” I echoed. But I wouldn’t be holding my breath.

“Do you know one of the things that’s been hardest for me?” she asked.

“What?”

“I wish I had known that our last time together was our last time together. I would have tried to ... I don’t know. Enjoy it more. Appreciate it. But I guess you never really know when the last time is happening, do you?”

“Now I need M&M’s,” I told her, feeling depressed.

We walked together in silence before Ella offered, “I do have to tell you that I’m pretty impressed you apologized to Trent. That’s so out of character for you.”

“Right?” I agreed. “I thought it was very big of me.”

“What’s big of you, Chuck Norris?” I turned to see Jake standing behind me with that blinding, perfect smile, and I threw my arms around his neck. “Whoa, what’s going on?”

“I did what you said. I apologized to Trent, and he says we’re not friends and never were.”

Jake must have heard the pain in my voice as his arms tightened around me even more. “That’s not true. You guys were definitely friends. Do you know how much time I spent being jealous of that guy? Because you were always together.”

My heart skipped a beat at the idea that Jake had been jealous, but then sank again as I thought of all the time Trent and I used to spend together.

And despite Ella’s hope, I knew that he and I never would hang out again.

I turned to look for her, but she had disappeared, leaving us alone.

“I know just what to do to help you forget your conversation with that Goth jerk. We should get out of here,” Jake said.

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