Page 49 of If the Stars Align
She’s different. Taller, somehow. I look down and see a stylish pair of black pointed-toe heels on her feet. She’s dressed in a pretty sleeveless blouse, tucked into a pencil skirt that hits right above her knees. Her long, dark hair is cut slightly shorter and looks perfectly sleek. In my Northwestern t-shirt and matching athletic shorts, I feel like a college freshman who just rolled out of bed. I put time into my hair and makeup, at least, but now I wish I’d worn something else.
Mia giggles. “I’m totally overdressed, I know. I just had an interview! It was at an engineering firm in Cleveland. It’s literally my dream job, Sunny! I mean, for now, at least. Ireallyhope I get it,” she says as we take a seat at the table.
Mia’s wanted to be an engineer since she was seven. Her dad loves to recall how she’d take apart her brothers’ toys so she could rebuild them. Being the only girl among her siblings and cousins, Mia wasn’t the least bit intimidated when she chose a major that was skewed male. She had a dream, and it’s easy to see she’s on her way to making it happen.
Gone are the days of Abercrombie-clad Mia, I guess. She looks so put-together. When we talked on the phone a couple of weeks ago, she told me she and Evan are looking for an apartment together. He has an accounting job lined up in Cleveland. Everything’s falling into place for them.
“Congrats on your interview!” I tell Mia. “I’m sure youknocked ’em dead. I ordered you a decaf cinnamon latte, by the way,” I say, pushing the paper cup toward her. “Is that?—”
“Still my favorite? Yes,” she confirms before taking a sip. “Thanks, Sunny! So, how’s your summer so far? You’ve only been back a week, right?”
I nod. “My mom got married last Friday.”
“That’s right!” Mia exclaims with wide eyes. “How was it?”
“It was sweet,” I tell her before taking a sip of my coffee. “They had a small ceremony at the courthouse. Luis’s daughters flew in for it. I really like them—Lily and Elena. They stayed at our house all week. We watched movies together, and drank wine, and went out to eat. It was a good distraction for me.”
I said that last part sort of unwittingly. I didn’t intend to take the conversation in this direction. But Mia pounces.
“How are you doing since breaking up with Asher?” she asks me, her dark eyebrows knit together. Maybe she’s still in interview mode, but her hands are in her lap, and she looks a bit rigid as she leans forward, waiting for my answer.
I shrug. “I’m okay. I’m more concerned about him. He really wanted to stay together. But Asher’s a catch. He’ll make some lucky womanextremelyhappy one day.” I sigh. “I hope he finds her soon.”
Mia’s gaze travels to her lap. “What about you?”
I don’t understand. “Whataboutme?”
Mia looks back up. “Have you…talked to Dex at all?”
It’s like there’s a fire raging inside me, and Mia lit the match. I close my eyes and exhale. “I haven’t heard from Dex in years, Mia. Not since the night we broke up.”
Why can’t she let this go?
“Wait…are you serious?” she asks.
I open my eyes. “Of course I’m serious. Why?”
Mia looks away, shaking her head. “I gave Dex your number,” she says in a near-whisper. She clears her throat before she continues. “He sounded desperate to talk to you, and I?—”
“You didwhat? When?” My hands are trembling. I put down my coffee.
“It was a while ago. End of junior year. I tried to give you a heads-up—I kept calling and leaving messages—but you never called me back! So after a while…I just gave up. And the next time you called me, you were in a relationship with Asher, so I figured you and Dex had talked and?—”
“Wedidn’ttalk,” I say, my voice shaking. “You gave him my number—without asking me first, I might add—and he didn’t even call.” I choke back a sob. “I guess he decided it wasn’t worth it.” I hide my face in my hands, but it’s obvious I’m crying.
“Oh, Sunny,” Mia says. I feel her hand on my wrist. I let her sandwich my palm between hers. Her hazel eyes are glistening. When I look down at our hands on the table, I see something else shimmering. An actual engagement ring with a princess-cut diamond.
Mia pulls her hands back. No wonder she’d been sitting with them in her lap. She was hiding her ring from me.
I sniffle. “When did Evan propose?” I ask her softly.
She blinks at me through tears. “The day we graduated. I wanted to tell you when we talked on the phone but?—”
“I’d just told you about my breakup with Asher.”I finish for her. All this time I’ve been pulling away from Mia, she’s been holding back too. I guess we really have drifted apart. “I hate that you feel the need to walk on eggshells around me.”
Mia’s cheeks redden. “Sunny, I?—”
“And why did you think it was okay to give my phone number to my ex? I trusted you!”
