Page 53 of A Little Secret
“And?” my brother prods.
“We broke up.”
It’s such a simple statement. Like the sky is blue or caffeine is life. Leaning my back against the counter, I wait for the sting of betrayal to hit me, but it doesn’t. All I feel is…the slight tingle of my lips.
“So, he was cheating on you?” Everett prods.
He.
As in, Drew.
Right.
“Technically, he says nothing happened,” I offer, “but a girl can read between the lines, you know?”
“Fuck him,” my brother curses. “I never liked him anyway.”
My lips curve up. “That, you made very clear.”
“Yeah, well, I was right, like always.”
“So humble,” I note.
“It’s genetic,” he quips, pulling another quiet laugh from me before he adds, “Besides. This’ll be good for you.”
“What will be good for me?”
“To take a break from guys and focus on yourself. You were with the asshat for so long you never even had the chance to be young and stupid and reckless. Fuck the responsibilities that come with relationships and do your own thing.”
“Says the guy who's head over heels for Raine,” I toss back at him.
“She’s different,” he argues. “And I’m older than you. Actually, Raine and I are both older than you.”
“Age is only a number, brother.”
“I’m just saying there’s nothing wrong with enjoying life without needing a guy by your side twenty-four-seven. Do you even know what it’s like to be single? You have your entire life to settle down and fall in love. You should enjoy the lack of responsibility. The freedom. The time to be selfish and only think about you. You’ve never had it.”
I’ll never have it. Not anymore. The realization is bittersweet. I look down at my stomach, well aware it looks the exact same way as it did two months ago. This isn’t about me any more. None of this is. It’s about my baby.
I’m going to have a baby.
Deep breath, Fin, I remind myself.
Reading my silence as confirmation that my heart is hurting, Everett adds, “Don’t let the asshole get you down. You might’ve been with him for years, but let’s be honest. Most of that time was spent with you two fighting.”
“Notmostof the time,” I defend, no matter how pointlessit is. He’s right. Drew and I fought. A lot. The reminder makes me feel like I’m the failure. The one who was unreasonable. Who screwed up. Who was too stubborn to acknowledge that maybe we weren’t a good fit for each other anymore. Maybe I'm not a good fit for anyone anymore.
“Whatever you say, Fin,” Everett mutters. “All I’m saying is he was dead weight. You should celebrate.”
I roll my eyes. “Celebrate, huh?”
“Yeah. Celebrate,” he repeats. “What do you say we have a Game Night tonight? It’s New Year’s Eve. Might as well help the friends lick their wounds since we had to come home early, and it’ll help get your mind off things. It might even be the last one Griffin attends if my hunch is right about the meeting, and he was able to reschedule it.”
The reminder of Griffin missing his meeting and my part in it leaves a dull ache inside me. Why would he do that? Why would he potentially piss off the Tornadoes? Is that why he ended the kiss before it had a chance to turn into anything else? Because he knows he’s leaving sooner rather than later? Not that the timeline matters. He’s moving. Whether it’s today or a month from now or even after graduation. He has a life ahead of him. A life he’s worked so damn hard for, and he deserves my support.
“I think it’s a great idea,” I announce. “A Game Night.”
“Perfect. I’ll tell Reeves to get the ball rolling. Drive safe, yeah?”