Page 22 of Lessons in Falling
Valentina?Iris asked, nudging my shoulder with raised brows.What do you think?
I had a feeling I knew, but asked anyway,About?
My best friend’s eyes rolled, and I couldn’t blame her.Santa Claus!she snickered.What kind of question is that?You’re sharing a room with Caden—what do you think of him?
You’ve been suspiciously quiet,Alfie added, then seemed to realize,If you hate him, we can still buy that mattress.I swear the spare room is notthatbad!
It’s quite bad,Anni argued.But not worse than you having to sleep with a guy you don’t even like.
And that just made it sound so much worse, I thought I needed to clarify,I’m not sleeping with him!Which sounded a little too hysterical, a little too much like compensation.I was sweating, I think.
The low light above us suddenly felt blindingly bright, like someone was shining a spotlight at me, ready to investigate what exactly had happened between me and Caden four months ago.Iris was wearing a detective hat, smoking a cigar, holding a lamp to my face and angrily glowering until I broke.In my head, that’s what the situation had turned into.
I tried to snap out of it, shook my head.I don’t hate him,I said.He’s… nice.And while they were all waiting for more than ahe’s nice, I knew this was it.
Alfie took a sip from his drink, Iris checked her phone, andI knew this was the moment.I’d simply open my mouth and casually mention it.I think my eyes closed, and it wasn’t a conscious choice.We’ve actually… met before.So I’m not… surprised.That he’s nice, I mean.
Silence.Probably because they needed to digest the fact— needed a minute to understand that I’d basically lied to them.I winced when I opened my eyes again.
But no one was looking back at me.
They were focused on Iris’ phone, which she’d placed in the middle of the table.And now that I’d opened my eyes, we were all looking at the same Instagram story.Of Jason.The same guy who’d said he didn’t want a relationship, then got into one, weeks later.The same guy she’d been seeing again after they’d broken up.And the same guy who’d been the reason I hadn’t told her about Caden in the first place.
They’re back together.Iris basically whispered the words, still focused on her phone.A mirror picture of them took up the entire screen.You couldn’t see Jason’s face, but I trusted Iris to identify him by fingernails alone.
This was not the time forI told you so, though.Anni and Alfie both agreed, all we had to do was take a single glance at one another.
That bastard,Alfie shouted, then snatched Iris’ phone off the table and let it disappear in Anni’s bag, beside him in the booth.
We could slash his tires.Throw eggs.
Iris’ lips twitched, but she couldn’t muster the same enthusiasm yet.Her head fell against my shoulder, and the way my hand disappeared in her hair seemed like second nature.I didn’t even have to think about it.
What do I do now?she wondered from my shoulder, and a single, humorless laugh accompanied the desperation in her voice.That need to do something when it wasn’t her place to do anything at all.
Block him, then never think about that fuckface again.I promise you’ll be better off,I offered.
I feel like I gave a few good suggestions.Anni was clearly talking about the tire slashing-egg throwing combination that I wasn’t opposed to, either.
We’ll get in a car right now if you want to, Iris,Alfie assured.Just say the word.
And I kind of thought—hoped—she would.Another version of Iris would be on her way to the car right now.This one, though, just sank further into her seat, until she slipped from my shoulder to my lap and sighed, loudly.Her eyes were closed, shut tightly, because she would shed at least one tear otherwise—and she hated doing that for men.
Iris only let herself cry when a girl broke her heart (At least they’re pretty).
An hour later, when we’d adequately debriefed (and still weren’t halfway done), Iris remembered my almost-confession.Asked what I’d meant, and reminded the rest of the fact that I’d met Caden before, too.
Just at a party.We talked for a bit,I’d said, because boy-problems always reminded Iris of her first of those, which inevitably made her think of the NFR more, as well.So this was hardly the time to tell her I’d like to break it.
Not now, when she needed a good friend so badly.A friend she could trust and rely on.A friend who wouldn’t lie to her, and who hadn’t slept with Caden Callahan.
CHAPTER 12
VALENTINA
Being that good, trustworthy, reliable friend required me to stay away from Caden.And staying away from him was kind of hard when I crawled into my bed every night, and it was directly above his.Harder when, after a week of ignoring me, his head poked over the safety rail of my bunk.At six-thirty in the morning.
I wasn’t sure if I was still dreaming when his first words were,We’re going running, sleepyhead.
