Page 106 of How He Got the Girl
“Kintsugi,” Alyssa says, like it’s a normal piece of information to know.
“Exactly.” Shayna makes a clicking sound with her tongue. “That’s all I can think of right now, but I’m sure there’s more.”
Alyssa takes a bite of a bonut. “Is it just that things feel more real now that Griffin’s leaving tomorrow? Or is there another reason your heart is hurting?”
I purse my lips. “I think a part of me wishes I could go with him.”
“Then go,” they say together, as if it’s the obvious solution.
I stare at them, slack-jawed. Is it that simple? Can I leave my life behind and go with Griffin? These are my girls, my soul sisters, but I know they’d gladly make room for Griffin and welcome him into our friend group with open arms. It’s a leap of faith, leaving everything I’ve ever known, but now that I’ve found the man that I want by my side forever, I think it’s a leap worth making.
“I think we broke her,” Kelsey mutters out of the side of her mouth.
I throw a decorative pillow at her head.
“But the kind of breaking that leads to something beautiful.” Shayna smiles.
“Kintsugi,” Alyssa says again, making me snort.
“I can’t just leave. I have my job.”
“Girl, you never take a personal day.” Kelsey grabs a bonut and drags it through the berry sauce before popping it in her mouth.
“Exactly.” Shayna nods. “Use up your vacation time and go be with your man.”
“You could stay out there with him for a little bit and then take some long weekends off to spend with him every few weeks.” Alyssa pulls her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.
“What about y’all and my family?”
Kelsey pats my arm. “We’ll still be here when you get back. We’re talking seven days, not seven years.”
“And your family loves Griffin.” Alyssa offers me a bonut, and I nibble on it. “I ran into your mom at the grocery store this week, and she couldn’t stop talking about him.”
“Really?”
She nods. “I think Mrs. Porter would be mad if youdidn’tgo.”
They’re saying all the right things, but there’s one major piece of information we haven’t discussed.
“Okay, I get what y’all are saying, but Griffin didn’t ask me to go with him.” I purse my lips. “Well, I guess he told me that he wouldn’t ask me to come with him—he knows how much y’all, my family, and my job mean to me.”
“See.” Kelsey nudges my knee. “Hewantsyou with him, but he’d never ask you to sacrifice your life to be in LA because that’s not who he is.”
“He loves you too much for that,” Shayna agrees.
They’re right. Griffin has done so much to show me how much he cares. I think it’s time that I show him just how much he means to me.
I jump off the couch and grab the bonuts.
“What are you doing?” Alyssa asks.
“I’m going to get my man.”
“Yeah, you are,” Shayna cheers.
“Why’d you take the bonuts?” Kelsey stands and grabs another one from the platter.
I head upstairs with my friends trailing behind me. “I’m going to need sustenance tonight if I’m going to stay up packing, emailing my principal, and preparing lesson plans for a sub.”
