Page 57 of Let Me

But his friends have become my friends, even the weird ones.

“Hey, girl.Sorry I’m late.There was an accident.I literally watched it happen.I was like, ‘okay, y’all need to get out of my way.I’m hungry’.”

“Really, Riley?Somebody could’ve been hurt.”

“Yeah.That’s why people need to get off the phone and drive.”

She settles in her chair and hangs her purse on the back.Then she picks up a menu and asks, “Now, what are we eating?Shrimp and grits?Or are you going for more breakfasty foods?”

“You can get what you want.I’m not all that hungry.This coffee is enough for me.”

Lowering the menu so I can see her eyes, she asks, “What you mean you ain’t hungry?”

I shrug.“I’m not.I wasn’t even going to come here today, but here I am.”

“Okay, I’ll bite.What’s going on?”

“No, I didn’t say that for you to—you know what.It’s all good.”

“Autumn Maple Pemberton—don’t make me ask you again.”

“Not my whole government name.”

“Yeah, that’s right, now what is it?”

“Um…” I pull in a breath and release it like I’m doing a mindfulness exercise and say, “Judah dumped me.”

“What!”she screams.I’m glad we’re outside and there’s no one sitting out here but us at the moment.Otherwise she would’ve deafened everybody.

“It’s all good, Riley.”

“No, the heck it ain’t!”

“It is.”

“So, you just gon’ sit here and pretend like you weren’t in love with that man.”

“You warned me.I should’ve listened.”

“No, no, no—don’t you put this on yourself.This is not your fault.This ishisfault!”

“You don’t even know what happened?”

“He broke up with you.I don’t need to know the details.”

I’m still broken up about it, but somehow I feel like a peace has fallen over me.Maybe it’s because I cried all evening, all night and even a little this morning.Makeup disguises my weary eyes well, but it can’t hide the fact that my friend knows me so well.

She asks, “Did he even say why, or—?”

“He said I deserved someone better.”

“Spoken like a true player.”

“He’s not a player, Riley.”

“And I’m not about to let you defend a man who just broke up with you.You know what?”She whips out her phone, pulls up her social media and shows me a guy’s profile.

“Who’s this?”

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