Page 61 of Before We're More Than Friends
My hopes deflated when Mom still didn’t pick up after six calls. I restrained myself from throwing my phone across the room. “I give up!” I shouted.
A few people looked at me, and I put my head in my hands.Why is everything falling apart all at once?
“We’re going home,” Arielle said, getting up from the bench. “I’m going to use the bathroom, and then I’ll tell everyone that we’re leaving.” She gave me a side hug. “I’m sorry I made you feel like you had to come.”
“It was my choice.” A very horrible choice that resulted in an accident.
I jammed my phone in my purse and put my head in my hands again, letting tears of frustration stream down my cheeks. In the middle of my meltdown, a warm hand rubbed against my back. I jumped to see Dallas sitting where Arielle had been.
“Shush,” he whispered. “I’m right here.”
Snot ran from my nose, and I took a tissue from my purse to wipe it. “I didn’t say anything.” I turned away to open my compact mirror and make sure I didn’t look like a drowned rat. I did. Thank goodness I hadn’t been in the mood to put on anything but lip gloss.
“Don’t worry, you still look like a princess.” He let out a soft chuckle before straightening his face. “Sorry, it’s just . . . I wanted to check on you. Because I’m worried. I’ve been worried about you all week.”
“I tried not to break down like this,” I said, wiping the remaining tears from my face. “But I went to call my parents before realizing I didn’t have parents to call. My mom won’t answer because she’s wasted, and my dad, well . . .” I shook my head, putting my mirror away. “Sorry, you don’t need my pathetic self to ruin your birthday party.”
No one other than my friends knew about my mom’s drinking addiction. I worried Dallas would judge me for it, buthe’d already caught me bawling my eyes out. What did I have to lose?
Still, this wasn’t the time to open up. To anyone.
“You’re not pathetic,” Dallas said softly. “You’re hurting because you’re going through hell right now. I don’t expect you to be perfectly okay.”
“I am, but I’m not supposed to . . .” I sniffled. “I’m not supposed to let it show.”
He nodded. “I understand not wanting to show your weakness. I don’t like it, either. But we’re . . .” He stared at my bracelets before his eyes bounced back to mine. “We’re friends now.”
I managed to give him a smile. “I’m glad you think we’re friends.”
“We are, right?” His eyes widened, his cheeks flushing as they usually did. “I-I just thought because?—”
“Because I didn’t yell at you when you knocked my pencil out of my hand in Chemistry? Because I fed bunnies with you even though you were rude?”
He swallowed. “I-I’m sorry, I just?—”
I laughed. “Gosh, I’m playing with you, Dallas.”
“Oh, good.” He let out a breath. “Sorry.”
My lips curved in another smile. “You apologize too much.”
“Sorry, I just get anxious often.”
“You apologized again.”
His grin showcased his dimples. They were too cute. “My apologies.”
I couldn’t help but laugh again. “I think you’ll make a good friend.”
“Hopefully.” He rubbed my knee. “Are you feeling better now that you let everything out? I have to get back to this beast of a party that Hayden thought he’d perfectly planned, but I just want to make sure you’re doing better.”
“I’ll be fine soon,” I said. “Arielle and I are actually going to leave once she gets out of the bathroom.”
“I wish I could leave, too, honestly.” Dallas hugged his knees to his chest. “I really hate parties, and I made it very clear to Hayden that I didn’t want this to turn into one. I didn’t even want to celebrate my birthday in the first place.”
“Really? I mean, I’m not surprised Hayden made this a big party. Everything he plans is over the top.” He and Arielle for sure had that in common. “But I didn’t know that you didn’t want to celebrate your birthday.”
“Yeah.” Dallas brushed dirt off his shoes. “It’s my first birthday being away from Dallas and my best friend.”
