Page 55 of The Rebound
“You get it,” I say, relieved. It’s not until then that I realize how much I needed him to.
“I think so, yeah.” He sits fully on the ground beside me, not seeming to care about the mud. “I wish you hadn’t lied to me. But I can see why you did.”
He flinches then, wiping his forehead as a breeze shakes more raindrops from the trees. The brief pause allows me to take him in, the day’s worth of stubble on his jaw, the green of his eyes startingly bright as he peers mistrustfully upward. I swallow as the memory of what happened the last time we were this close flashes through my mind, and his gaze snaps back to me as though knowing exactly where my thoughts went.
“Can we start over?” I ask to distract him.
“What do you mean?”
“Just pretend like the last few weeks didn’t happen? We can be friends. Or friendly at least.”
He doesn’t answer for a long moment and I begin to wonder if I’ve seriously misjudged this whole conversation when he sighs. “Beth didn’t send me after you today,” he says. “I told you she sent me to apologize? She didn’t. I followed you because I felt bad. I’ve been feeling bad for the last few days. I just didn’t know how to make up for it.”
“So you lied to me too.”
“A much smaller one,” he says, giving me a look. “But yes. And yes, we can be friends.”
“Friends with five hundred euro each.”
“You can keep the money, Abby. I was only trying to annoy you.”
“No, it was teamwork. Plus you need it just as much as I do.”
He starts to argue when he frowns. “I guess I do.”
“Then we’ll split it,” I say before he can change his mind. “It’s still four hundred and ninety-five more than Louise was expecting today anyway.”
He smiles but it fades quickly, his expression turning serious as he helps me up. “I’m sorry about Tyler.”
“Thanks. Me too. But I’m okay. I’m actually starting to think…” I hesitate, embarrassed, but he just waits patiently, no judgement on his face. “I think he made the right call breaking it off,” I say. “And honestly? In the weeks after it happened I was more upset about having to tell everyone we were done rather thanbeingdone. Like I missed the life he gave me more than I missed him.” I push my hair back, finding a small twig. “I know how that sounds,” I add, flicking it to the ground.
“It sounds like you’re moving on. Would you prefer to be heartbroken?”
“No,” I admit.
“If you were sad, people would tell you to cheer up. You can’t win. So don’t overthink it.”
I sigh. “You’re a nice guy, you know that?”
“So my mother tells me.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth. And I’m sorry I accosted you on the street and made you sleep on your couch.”
He laughs at that, a surprised huff that makes his eyes crinkle. “It wasn’t the best night’s sleep I’ve had.”
“You should try my bed,” I say without thinking. “I mean, because the mattress is like thirty years old and—”
“Abby.”
I clamp my mouth shut. “Maybe I do have a concussion.”
“We’ll get Tomasz to take a look. Can you walk?”
“I can try,” I say gravely, and he smiles to himself, tossing the egg into the air as we make our way back to the clearing.
12
It barely takes us a few minutes to reach the edge of the forest, even though I’m limping slightly from my fall. The prize-giving ceremony is already underway and dozens of people gather around Andrew, despite the heavy gray clouds overhead, threatening to burst.
