“Listen, I’d appreciate it if you kept my whereabouts to yourself. I don’t want Elle to know where I am or what I’m doing. It’s best we go our separate ways with graduation coming up and… I just think it’s best. Goodbye, Peyton.” I hang up before she has a chance to try to change my mind. Exasperated, I pull out one of the executive chairs and sit down, welcoming the expensive leather and well-cushioned padding.
When the door opens, I swing around to find Talia standing there. “Don’t get up on my account,” she says, laughing. I can’t help but smile back, despite the way I’m feeling. Taking the call from Peyton was the last thing I should’ve done, especially while at work.
“Just testing things out,” I say, standing up. Talia steps into the conference room and closes the door behind her.
“I see that. Is everything okay?”
For some reason, I hold up my phone and shake it back and forth, as if it’s a clue to what’s bothering me. “Just a call from a hometown friend.”
“I thought you weren’t from one specific place?”
I did tell her and the rest of the team that one night after a round of drinks, mostly because I didn’t want people to put two and two together and come up with me having lived in the same town as 4225 West. “We all come from somewhere, right?”
“Yes, we do, but you—”
“I know,” I say, hoping she’ll stop asking. So far, I’ve been able to keep my association with the band away from work, even though I had fully intended to use them if need be, at least for advice on my proposal. However, after spending so much time with them over the years and listening to Elle go on about how she’s going to be a different manager, I knew what Eo needed in order to get back in the game.
I open the door and motion for Talia to walk ahead of me. My phone vibrates in my hand. I flip it over to see Elle’s face and my heart sinks. It’s not a coincidence she’s calling right after I hung up with her sister, but I’m confident Peyton didn’t tell her where I was either. My steps falter as I stare at her picture. I took it the day before Peyton’s accident. We had been surfing most of the day, and she decided to go out and do another run. I stayed back and watched; wishing things were different between us. A plan started forming while I watched her surf. I was going to take her out to dinner and open my heart to her. When she came out of the water, the sun was shining perfectly behind her. With a little zoom, I was able to capture her beauty.
The next day, everything changed. While we were in Chicago, I tried to show her I wanted more, but she was closed off and unreceptive. There was a time during the stay at the hospital I thought she was seeing someone. Elle would disappear for hours and come back acting as if she hadn’t been gone. I played it off, not wanting to know what she was doing.
The words should’ve come out of my mouth then. Faced with losing Peyton and all fearing what life was going to be like, I knew what I wanted. I just had to open my mouth and tell her. I think if I had, things would be different right now and my thumb wouldn’t be hovering over the Decline button.
23
Elle
My life has become one of those you see in the movies when a woman is single with no hope of love blossoming soon. Only, I created my situation by not opening my eyes to what was right in front of me, and now he’s gone and is taken by another.
I stand at his door, my arm poised to knock. After my session with the therapist, where I relived the night that has been plaguing me for weeks, I came to the realization that I’m a spoiled brat who needs a timeout. I’ve been treating Ben like he doesn’t matter to me when he matters the most, and I shouldn’t have come onto him the night of his birthday. But, I did, and now here I am, trying to make amends. I figure I can be the best friend, who is around to hang out and be there to nurse his broken heart when he and Talia break up.
After learning the truth about the night Ben and I were together, my heart broke even more than it has been. My actions were deplorable. The rejection he must’ve felt couldn’t have been easy on him. I can’t go back and change the morning after, but I can make things different moving forward.
I’ve tried calling him, but he refuses to answer. This is a hint that I’m clearly being ignored. If he wants to dissolve our friendship, so be it, but it’s not going to happen until I’ve had a chance to tell him how sorry I am. Not because we slept
together, but by the way I acted. He deserves better.
My fist comes down hard on his door, pounding three times in succession. It swings open, the wind causing Talia’s hair to blow. She’s perfect, and I hate her, and I don’t even know her. I smile, it’s forced, but it’s all I have right now. “Hi, I’m Elle,” I say, grabbing her hand. I leave her no choice but to shake mine.
“Hello.”
Ugh! Even her voice is soft and sweet. Why can’t Ben date someone ugly with warts and finagled teeth? Because Ben’s hot. I also came to this conclusion last night as I was lying in bed, trying to remember our night together. My therapist says now that I’ve unlocked the memories, they’ll start flooding back, likely at an importune time. You know, like when I’m in class and suddenly start reminiscing about him going… now is not the time.
“Talia, right? I’m Ben’s best friend, and I thought we could hang out.”
She turns her head slightly. “My name isn’t Talia.”
“Oh,” I say. “Am I saying your name wrong?” I swear Ben said this was her name. I mean it’s been a while since he told me about her, but I’m usually good with names.
“No, well yes. My name’s June. Not Talia.”
Now I’m the one saying, “Oh.” Now, I’m the one who’s confused. Why would Ben tell me her name is Talia when it isn’t? None of this makes any sense. “Is Ben home?” I try to look over her shoulder, but she moves so I can’t see into the apartment. In fact, she’s blocking me from entering.
Talia, also known as June, shakes her head rather slowly. The door starts to close, and for the life of me, I can’t understand why. “Ben’s in New York.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I thought you said you’re his best friend?”