Page 83 of I Wanna Text You Up

“Wine is exactly what Ineed.”

There must be something about the way I say it, because Delia raises her brows my way before she pushes herself off the couch and into thekitchen.

“So how are things,Zoe?”

“Things are…interesting.”

She grabs two glasses from the cabinets before heading toward the fridge. “Huh. Interestinghow?”

“In a lot ofways.”

Delia returns to the couch, setting down the cups and a fresh bottle of white wine. She sits forward and pours us both a glass then hands memine.

She curls her legs underneath her and takes a sip, regarding me a moment, knowing something’s up. I try my best not to make eyecontact.

“What kind ofways?”

Fuckinghell.

I down my entire glass of wine and nearly slam it back down on thetable.

“I like Caleb.” It comes out in one rushedbreath.

“You like him?” she says calmly, swirling her wine in herglass.

“Yes.”

“Like…how?”

“Ilikehim.”

“Oh,” shesays.

“Yep.”

“Is that why our conversations have been feeling…rushed?”

“Yes!” I nearly explode. “It’s so hard to talk to you when I feel like I’ve been hidingsomething.”

“You know that’s okay, right? To have a crush on him? I’m not going to be mad.” She lifts a shoulder and takes another sip. “He’s a good-looking guy. Can’t blame youthere.”

I drop my head into my hands. “It’s more than that,Delia.”

“More?”

“More. He’s the first person I think about in the morning. I rush to check my phone when it pings. Iwantto be near him and miss him when he’s away. Ilikehim.”

She purses her lips, swirling the wine glass again. “Huh.”

“We, uh,we…”

“Spit itout.”

“We’ve kissed. Alot.”

She studies me, not saying aword.

I feel like the world’s shittiest friend. I mean who goes around kissing their bestie’s ex-boyfriend? What kind of friend doesthat?