“What do you mean, ‘lied to you and Lea’?” His voice has an angry tinge to it.
“She kept us separated, because she didn’t want Lea to suffer the same fate as her. She didn’t want Lea to loose me the way she lost Jacob.”
“Are you shitting me?” He slams down his beer bottle, making the table shake.
“You know I searched for Lea. I begged her mom to tell me where she was, and she always had the same story Lea had moved on, and I needed to do the same. Only, Lea didn’t move on; she was hurt and alone, thinking I was living my days happy without her.”
“Christ.”
“Yesterday, I told Lea I hated her.”
“You did what?” His eyes get big and I rub my forehead once again, bombarded by the memory of the way she looked when I told her.
“I was pissed! Seeing her brought everything to the surface.” I scrub my hands down my face.
“Rhonda hung out with Lea and Josie yesterday.”
“I know. I saw them together while I was with Anna.”
He nods, tips back his beer, and then puts his elbows on the table, taking a deep breath.
“She told me Lea seems depressed, that even though she smiled, she could tell it was forced.”
“She just found out her mom only has months to live,” I remind him.
“Yeah, she also has no one here besides her mom.”
“Jesus.” I know he’s right, but there is still so much pent-up anger inside me when it comes to her.
“Ro told me to tell you to be nice to her.”
“She did, huh?” I laugh. Rhonda has Ben wrapped around her finger and is the one person my best friend is afraid of.
“She also invited her to the baby shower.”
“Good.”
“Wait…what?” he asks.
“Lea’s a good person. She was always sweet, and she needs a friend right now. Rhonda’s a good one for her to have.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?” I ask, confused.
“Are you going to be her friend?”
“I need to let the past go. I need to let Lea go and finally move on with my life.”
“That didn’t answer my question.”
“I’m going to try to be her friend, and hopefully, when she leaves town, I can finally get the fuck on with my life,” I say, while deep down I know it’s not going to be that easy. Nothing ever is.
“What about you and Anna?”
“You know it’s been coming to an end for a while.”
“Interesting,” he mutters, and I raise a brow, indicating for him to continue. “Nothing, Wolf.” He shakes his head, smirking. I know what he’s thinking, only he’s wrong. Lea and I aren’t kids anymore, and the only thing I have to offer her is friendship.
*
Lea
I look around Ben and Rhonda’s backyard and force a smile at yet another person as they walk past me into the house. Since showing up here an hour ago, I’ve received a lot of looks—most of them pity. I’ve also received a lot of smiles—most of them just as fake as the ones I was giving.
Growing up in this town held its benefits. The community was close-knit, everyone knew everyone, and if there ever came a time you needed something, there was always someone around to help you out. The thing that made this town special was the thing that was working against me now: everyone knew Austin. He was well liked, and so was his family. I knew people spoke about me leaving, that they probably knew about Austin and my history, and more than likely, they hated me just as much as he did.
“I’m sorry about your mom.” I turn my head and look up at Ben, who is holding a beer in his hand. “And I’m sorry about the way I spoke to you.”
“Thank you, and it’s okay,” I tell him, but my insides get tight.
“How are you holding up?” He asks folding his large body into the chair next to mine.
I give him a shaky smile and shrug; I’m not sure how to answer that. Right now, I’m doing okay. Later tonight, when I crawl into bed and my brain has a chance to take over, that will be a different story. “Okay, I guess.”
“You don’t seem okay to me.”
“I’m working on it.” I say truthfully. I am working on being okay. I want to give my mom what she wants. I want her to see me happy; she deserves that much.
“Why aren’t you inside?” he questions putting his beer to his mouth and tilting it back.
Because Austin’s inside, I think.
I knew that Austin—being Ben’s best friend—would be here today, but just like every other time I’ve seen him, nothing could prepare me for actually being in his presence. I expected him to glare at me when our eyes connected as I walked into the house, carrying Rhonda’s gift, but instead, he surprised me by taking the large package from my arms and giving me a smile. That’s when I figured out what he was doing. He was being nice, because people were around, but that didn’t mean his smile didn’t do something to my insides, causing them to light up.
“I like the fresh air,” I say then smile a real smile when a little girl runs by, followed by a boy with something in his hand that has her screaming loudly to stay away from her. “Why are you out here?” I ask, looking at him.
“I wanted to come check on you.” He must read the disbelief on my face, because he sits back in his chair and runs a hand over the top of his head, and then his mouth moves to say something, when he’s cut off.