Page 96 of The Change Up
I’m the type of girl who holds the door open for strangers. Who lets drivers cut in front of her. I’m the girl who pays it forward in the drive-thru just to make someone’s day. I stop into the local florist every week to support a woman who lost the love of her life by spending a few minutes with her and purchasing flowers to support her business.
Why do these things keep happening to me? Why does it all stem from not being enough for the people in my life? Am I that bad of a person?
The sound of the front door closing has me jerking my head in the direction of our front room.
“Babe.” Brynn’s soft voice fills the air as she rounds the counter and collapses on the floor next to me. Her arms wrap around my shoulders as I fall into her embrace. Sobs rack through my body as my tears soak her shirt.
For the longest time neither one of us says anything. I don’t even know what can be said in a situation like this. It’s only when the sound of the oven rings out that we separate. Standing from the ground, I grab the oven mitts and remove the lemon and blueberry scones.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Brynn asks hesitantly, as she leans against the counter. “Or should I break out the alcohol?”
I huff a breath through my nose. It’s half a laugh and half an exasperated sigh. “Honestly, I don’t even know where to begin. Which problem do I talk about first?”
“Are you asking because you want my two cents?”
Placing my hands on my hips, I huff the piece of loose hair from my face before shrugging. “You know, fuck it. Give me your thoughts.”
My emotions have spun in a one-eighty from hurt to sad to plain pissed off.
“Well, first of all, fuck your mom. There, I’m just going to say it.”
“She introduced me to her kids like I was an old acquaintance and then had the nerve to ask me if I wanted to have dinner with them.”
“Yeah, fuck her. She doesn’t get to take any credit for who you are as a person. She left. She screwed up. That’s on her. She’s missing out on one of the most incredible people in the world. One day she’s going to come across your name in some fancy magazine, and she’s going to be hit with the grief that she left you. You owe that woman nothing.” I start to interrupt her, but Brynn’s eyes give me a look that has me snapping my mouth shut. “I know it hurts, and I know it had to have triggered all of the pain from the past, but fuck her. You don’t deserve to feel the turmoil anymore.”
I nod because, at the end of the day, I know she’s right. Everything that Brynn is saying is true, but it doesn’t take the pain away. At least for the first time in my life, I feel like someone is giving me permission to forget about the woman who birthed me. I shouldn’t have to dim my light to make her feel like what she did was okay.
Brynn moves from my side of the counter to the other side before she takes a seat on a stool. “Now the last part, I don’t think you’re going to like.”
“If you defend him, our friendship is over.”
She laughs. My so-called friend sits there and laughs. “First off, you’re stuck with me, bitch. You’re my ride or die until the end.”
Giving her a tight-lipped smile, I hop on the counter, avoiding the flour mess, until we are faced to face. “Love you.”
“Love you too. Now,” she begins, her face squishing in a pained expression. “I think you need to hear him out. I talked to Hudson last night, and he gave me a brief recap. But I knowCody, and you know Cody. Deep down something doesn’t add up. We both know he’s in this with you, and it’s so much for him than just a fling.”
“But this isn’t the first time he’s pulled this shit. And I needed him last night and where was he? Telling his parents that I’m a nobody. That I’m nothing. I don’t care what the reasoning is, that shit hurts.”
Her shoulders sag as she lets out a long exhale. “I know. I’m not saying the two of you need to talk tonight, but just give him a chance to explain.”
“Yeah, well it’s going to have to wait. This week is finals prep, and I have a lot to focus on. This was not the week for my life to implode.”
She drums her fingers on the counter, eyeing me. “What are you going to do when he shows up here today? You know you’re going to be his first stop.”
“Wanna tell him I’m not here?”
She lets out a sarcastic laugh. “Yeah, there’s no way he’s believing me when I say that.”
Dammit, I didn’t even think about him coming over here. Worrying on my bottom lip, I think of the potential places I could hide out. I guess I could try to reach out to Macy and see if she and Gregg would mind me crashing there. It won’t take Cody long to figure out I’m there, but it might be long enough to let me figure out a better option.
“Hey, Chlo, why didn’t you call me last night?” Her expression morphs into an almost hurt look as her eyes sadden. “You know I would’ve been here waiting, right?”
Sliding off the counter, I make my way over to her. Wrapping my arms around her shoulders, I rest my head on her. “Of course I know that. I just wanted to be alone.”
“I get it,” she replies, her hand squeezing my arm. “Just know I’m always here, and I’m always in your corner.”
With one last squeeze, I release my arms and make my way back over to the counter to clean up my mess.
