Page 227 of We Shouldn't Be Together
“Tabby?”
I clear my throat and push through. “Umm, would you come here? If I asked you.”
“In a heartbeat. Do you want me to go there?”
“Aren’t you with Jamie?”
He blows out a tired breath. “Nope. That was a bust.”
My heart springs into my throat, pummeling the words that want to escape. “Wh-what happened?”
“Everything was fine. We were competing at soccer practice, as usual. You know, trying to break our juggling records, and stuff like that. But she promised her coach she’d lay off the soccer practice and spend her time studying, and he caught her out on the field.”
“Oof. Did she get in trouble?”
“Yeah. He made her leave practice.”
“She didn’t protest her way out of it?”
Kai sighs into the phone. “No. She wouldn’t let me defend her, either.”
“Wow. She must’ve felt bad.”
“It just sucks,” he says in a low tone. “Things were feeling normal with us again. It was fun. But then she turned docile and compliant. Not the Jamie I know.”
I press the phone harder against my ear and use my other arm to hug my middle. “So, you’re not hanging out with her?”
“No. I got the impression she didn’t want me to meet up with her.”
Tears sting my eyes, but I’m not sure what they mean. “Are you mad about that? Would you rather be hanging out with her?”
“To be honest, I’m just annoyed that my friendship with her has changed. If she’d only give you half a chance, there wouldn’t be all this distance between her and me.”
“It’s because of me that…”
“No, it’s not your fault,” he cuts me off. “Jamie has never even tried with you. You try to talk to her and she just gives you stony silence. How am I supposed to accept that?”
Unsure of what to say, I reply with, “I don’t know.”
“Tabby, you’re so important to me. I really thought Jamie would get that.”
“So, you don’t want to break up with me to make her happy?”
A flood of laughter vibrates through the phone. “What?” He gasps for air. “Good lord. No, never.”
I wipe the sweat from my hairline and release a coil of tension from my spine. “Oh, okay. Good.”
“Good?” he echoes. “Tabby, I never want to lose you. Is that really what you thought?”
“You and she are so close, and you don’t want me to say anything negative about her, so…”
“I’ve been so defensive about Jamie for so long. Now, I’m telling her not to be nasty about you. I freaking hate being the mediator.”
A nervous laugh spills out of me. “I think you’re too much of a hothead to be a good mediator.”
He snorts. “Thanks.”
“It’s okay. I still like you.”
