Page 51 of Going the Distance
Chapter 13
I called Lee.
I knew he was at Rachel’s and I knew this was their big romantic evening in, and he’d told me about how excited he was about it, so I hesitated when my best friend’s number was up on my cell phone screen. I could barely see it from crying so hard. It would be so selfish to interrupt their night together, I knew that.
I clicked dial.
It went to voice mail, and by that point, I was a mess—I’d used up the entire mini packet of Kleenex I kept in my car for emergencies, and the ones in my purse, and I was snotty and tearful and so distraught it was hard to breathe properly. I kept taking these huge, gasping breaths like I was drowning.
What the hell had I just done?
I could’ve called Levi. He and I were good friends now, and I knew he’d be there for me. He’d understand, too—he’d had a rough breakup with his previous girlfriend, Julie. I should call Levi, I told myself, and leave Lee be.
But much as I liked Levi, it was Lee I needed right now. My best friend.
Before I could tell myself to leave my best friend to have his night in with his girlfriend, I was already calling him again.
This time, he picked up on the first ring.
“I’m kind of in the middle of something here, Shelly. What’s up?” Lee’s voice was hushed and testy, but somehow I couldn’t bring myself to feel bad for disturbing him.
I sniffled, and before I could decide how to start this, he realized I was crying.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice gentle now. “Elle? Talk to me.”
“I…I b-b-broke up with…” I hiccupped. “With N-Noah.”
“What?”
“I b-broke up w-with him.” I sniffed, wiping the back of my hand across my cheek. “I’m sorry to spoil your evening because I know how important this is to you guys, but I just…I needed to talk to you, that’s all. Just spare me ten minutes, and then you can get back to wining and dining Rachel. Please.”
“I’ll do more than give you ten minutes,” he said. “You guys really broke up?”
“Oh, God, Lee…I don’t…”I don’t know what I’ve done.
“Where are you?”
“In my car. I’m…I’m sorry, Lee. I know I shouldn’t have called but I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Don’t apologize.” Lee’s voice was soft, calming. “Where are you, exactly?” I looked around, blinking away some tears enough to read out the street name on the nearby sign. “Okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Shit, I didn’t expect him toleaveRachel. I mean, I should’ve guessed he would, but all I needed was to talk to him, for him to comfort me. I didn’t intend for him to bail on Rachel, especially tonight.
“No…it’s…honestly, please, don’t…”
My protests were futile; from the sound of it, he’d taken the cell phone away from his ear, but I could hear him talking, even if his voice was a bit distant. There was rustling, like fabric.
“I’m sorry, Rach, I have to go.”
“What? What’s happened?” Rachel’s voice was faint, but I could still make out every word she said. And from the tone of her voice, she didn’t sound remotely happy that their evening together was disrupted.
“Elle needs me. I’m sorry. I’ll be back soon, I promise. I can’t just leave her. I swear, I won’t be too long. Maybe an hour or two. I’m sorry.”
“What do you mean? You’releaving?”
“Well, yeah, I…I have to go. She’s my best friend.”
“Lee, we’ve been waiting for tonight forweeks,and we just…And now you’re just going to walk out on me?”
