Chapter Twenty-One

Wren

“Thanks for keeping me company tonight. It’s the first time I’ve missed a game in four years.” I took a long swig of raspberry lemonade. “Friday night without basketball… So weird.”

Dae and Jenna Marie both gave me empathetic smiles. They were sitting side by side in the hard plastic booth across from me.

“Minus that jerkwad, I still want them to win.” I let out a sad chuckle.

Dae stole a glance at his phone. “Want to know the score? Brandon just texted me.”

“The game is already over?” I tucked my knees under my chin.

“Yeah, they won, sixty-five to thirty-two.” Dae set his phone down. “Brandon is going to meet us here in ten minutes.”

My heart ached. My chest ached. Missing the game had been bad enough, but the planet-sized hole Fuller had left in my heart felt like it would never be repaired.

Jenna Marie dunked a French fry in ketchup. “It’s hard.”

“What?”

“Having someone betray you.” She took a bite. “But I can tell you one thing. It will get better.”

Taking another sip of lemonade, I shrugged. “I was stupid for ever thinking someone like Fuller James could be a decent human being. I’ve learned my lesson. The rest of my senior year is going to be all about spending time with my friends, acing my AP tests, and graduating as valedictorian.”

Jenna Marie shook her head. “You don’t have to swear off finding someone forever. I promise, there are a few good ones out there.” She glanced up at Dae.

Guilt washed over me like a powerful wave. “There might be, but I’m done looking until I get to college.”

“If it makes you feel any better, Fuller feels terrible,” Dae said cautiously.

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “How do you know that?”

“Oh, well, you can just tell.” Dae stole a quick glance in Jenna Marie’s direction. “You know, because—”

“Hey, guys.” Brandon’s voice interrupted our conversation.

“You getting something to eat?” Dae asked, cutting our talk of Fuller short. It was probably for the best. I didn’t need to waste any more time thinking about him.

“I already ordered.” Brandon scooted next to me in the booth. “I’m starving.”

Pushing Fuller to the back of my mind, I laughed. Brandon was always hungry.

“I probably went a little overboard with three chili dogs and a basket of fries.” He gave me a lopsided grin. “I may need some help eating all of it.”

“Heard you won. Congrats.” I wanted to ask him more about the game, but the tightness in my chest prevented me. I hadn’t cried since Wednesday after school, and I didn’t want to start again now.

Brandon threw his arm over my shoulder and squeezed me into the nook between his armpit and his side. “We totally kicked their butts.”

“Proud of you.” I let my head fall onto his shoulder. “Also, thanks for showering.”

He chuckled and stole one of Jenna Marie’s fries. “What’s on the agenda for tonight?”

“League of Legends and popcorn at my place?” Jenna Marie suggested.

Dae and Brandon nodded in agreement.

When I didn’t say anything, everyone turned their eyes toward me.

“Wren?” Brandon asked.

Shrugging, I took a long sip of my drink. “I was thinking about heading home after this— I have that AP Psychology paper due next week.”

Jenna Marie shook her head. “No way. I need your opinion on my dress for tomorrow night.”

A dance I’m no longer attending… I stared out the window, my eyes landing on a yellow Jeep with a Magnolia Valley basketball bumper sticker. It reminded me of Fuller. Everything reminded me of him.

“Wren?” Jenna Marie’s shoulder lifted slightly.

“I’m sure it’s awesome.” Jenna Marie was stunning; she could wear a black trash bag with some duct tape to the dance and look perfect.

She stuck out her lower lip. “Please? I have two dresses and I totally need your help picking the right one.”

Dae looked at her and grinned. My heart stung as I watched him tuck a fallen lock of Jenna Marie’s hair behind her ear. He was smitten. Just like I used to be with Fuller.

“I…I loved him.”

As the words left my lips, Brandon and Dae shot each other a look I couldn’t decipher. Was it an “I told you so” glance or maybe one of pity?

“Oh, honey.” Jenna Marie got up and wrapped her arms around me.

“I loved him, and he played me.” I hadn’t said the words out loud, but I’d thought them plenty of times. They stung even more when they left my lips.

Brandon’s shoulders fell. “I’m so sorry, Wren.”

I picked up a fry but then threw it down in disgust. “He’s always been a jerk. Believing that he had changed was such a stupid move.”

Jenna Marie shook her head. “He fooled all of us.”

I tried to focus on the anger coiled in the pit of my stomach instead of the agony tightening in my chest.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” Dae said. “How about after the dance, we have a movie night? Just the four of us? We could watch The Heat.”

A sad chuckle escaped my lips. Dae loved that movie; it always made him laugh. We’d watched it, like, twenty times after Eva had broken up with him.

“I don’t want to bring the rest of you down,” I said. “You should all go to the dance and have fun. I’ll hang out at home with Gramps.”

“We aren’t going without you. Period.” Dae picked up his drink and took a long swig.

“All right, all right,” I responded. “I’ll go.”

Jenna Marie clapped her hands together. “Yay!”

Turning my head, I gazed out the window and allowed my mind to drift to the source of my pain.

How could you do this to me, Fuller James?