Page 78 of Blue Hawaiian
“Of course. Whenever you’re ready.” Her mom’s mouth quirked up in a smile. “I just need to move my sewing machine out of your bedroom. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want, but I think you should consider taking a few classes to acquire some practical skills.”
“I checked online and there’s a UC Riverside extension class in basic accounting I could take.” Not that she wanted to be an accountant. But it wouldn’t hurt to have a backup plan, for once.
“Perfect. You might find accounting suits you.” Her mom finished her drink and set the glass aside. “What about Connor? Are you two going to be together since you’ll be living so close to him?”
If only.“I don’t think he wants me back. I can’t say I blame him, considering I lied to him about every aspect of my life.”
“Maybe you’re better off without him. He didn’t treat you very well last time you were together.”
“He’s changed since then.” Saying it made her realize it was true. Hehadchanged. And she hadn’t let herself see it, because she was so caught up in protecting her feelings.
Her mom pointed to Jess’s cocktail glass. “Do you want another one?”
“Maybe just a Sprite, thanks.”
Over the next round of drinks, Jess entertained her mom with anecdotes from her temp jobs and caught up with all the hot Chavez gossip. She couldn’t remember the last time they’d had such a long, grown-up conversation. For once, Gabi wasn’t around to hog all the attention.
As they got up to leave, her mom gave her another hug. “This was nice. We should do it more often once you come home.”
“I’d like that,” Jess said.
“I have to warn you—I’ve been trying a healthier lifestyle. Instead of coffee, I’ve been making smoothies for breakfast. Healthy ones, with kale.”
Kale?She shuddered. “But you still have the coffeepot, right?”
“Of course. I could never abandon coffee completely.”
Thank God.
After her mom went back to her room, Jess had to decide whether she wanted to track down Connor or Gabi. Though she suspected neither of them wanted to talk to her, she owed both an apology. She went outside to see if they were at the Coral Cove. No luck. Instead, she ran into Victoria, who was standing at the bar, waiting for a drink.
Victoria tilted her head to the side. “Are you doing okay?” Her voice lacked its characteristic snark. “That scene with your sister was rough.”
Having Victoria—of all people—regard her with sympathy almost brought her to tears.Again. “I’ve been better. Sorry I lied about Connor. I didn’t want you to think I was an idiot. Right from the first day, you told me he wasn’t worth it.”
Victoria gave a lengthy sigh. “That was just me being snotty. I shouldn’t have said that. He’s changed a lot this year.”
Jess nodded. “I wouldn’t have gotten involved with him otherwise.”
“It’s just—he hurt you before. He talked about it when he came back from Spain.”
He’d discussed her with Victoria? Jess was about to ask for more details, but the bartender slid a cosmopolitan toward Victoria. “Here you go, miss.”
“Put it on my bill. Room 962.” She turned to Jess. “Do you want a drink?”
“I’d better not.” She was almost afraid to ask but was too curious to let it go. Connor had never mentioned he’d confided in Victoria. “What…what did Connor tell you?”
Victoria sipped her drink. “After his trip, he moved back home for a few weeks. We had a lot of time to talk. I’d been through hell that summer, and I needed a shoulder to cry on. He told me what happened at Big Bear and how he ghosted you afterward. At one point, he was thinking of going to Irvine to talk to you. But it’s better he didn’t.”
Jess’s voice cracked. “Why? I would have loved an apology.”
The bartender caught her eye. “Can I get anything for you, miss?”
She shook her head, keeping her focus on Victoria.
“Honestly? If Connor had shown up at your dorm, you wouldn’t have gotten over him. You would have kept believing he was your one true love. Better to get your heart broken than end up with him.”
“Why?” She hated how needy she sounded, but she was desperate for clarity.
