Page 59 of Her Three Tech Bros

“No, I haven’t talked to them.”

“Oh, Jade, I’m sorry. Please tell me you haven’t just been holed up in your apartment since we last talked.”

I bite my lip. We last talked about this five days ago, and I most certainly have been holed up in here since then.

“No, of course not!”

“Girl, come on. I can smell your lie from a thousand miles away.”

“Okay, fine, I have been.”

“Jade! You need to go out. Tomorrow’s Friday, why don’t you go out and try to find a new guy to hook up with? You just need to wipe the slate clean with a new guy.”

“I don’t want a new guy. I want my guys.”

“I’m sorry. Have you thought about just calling them?”

“No. No, absolutely not. They’re the ones who walked away from me, not the other way around. If anyone’s going to make the first contact, it has to be them. I’m not fucking chasing them if they can’t sort themselves out and make this work.”

“Okay, well if you won’t call them, and they aren’t calling you, then maybe you just need to move on. I know you don’t want to, but how long can you stay like this? It’s not healthy.”

“I just… I’m not ready yet. I know it doesn’t make much sense, but I just need to wallow right now.”

“Okay, I hear you. I just wish I could do something.”

“You’re already doing it. I’m fine, I promise. Another week, and I’m sure I’ll be back to my old self.”

“You better be! I need the real Jade back.”

“Okay let’s talk about what we’re gonna do when you come here.”

“Oh yes! I definitely want to go to all the best clubs, but I also really want to visit the ocean. I need a reminder that it exists.”

“We can go to the Santa Monica Pier. We could make a whole day out of it. There’s so much to do there.”

“That sounds amazing!”

“How long can you stay for?”

“I’m actually not sure yet, but I’m hoping at least a week.”

“It has to be at least that. There’s so much to do here, and a weekend just isn’t going to cut it. Promise me you’ll convince your mom to give you enough time off.”

“I’ll do whatever I have to do. I’ll even hire someone to take my place while I’m gone if that’s what it takes,” Kayla says, laughing. “Oh! Can we go see the Hollywood sign, too? I know it’s cliché, but I just have to see it up close.”

“Of course! I haven’t been yet, but I’ve been told that there are trails that lead pretty close to it.”

I hear a sound coming from the front of my apartment, and I stand up, walking out of my room. This time, when the sound happens again, I can tell what it is.

“Hey, someone’s knocking on my door. Can I call you back?”

“Of course! I love you, girl!”

“I love you, too, Kayla,” I say before hanging up.

I open my door, and my jaw drops instantly. Ryan, Ethan, and Logan are all standing in the hall. I’m completely speechless, and part of me wonders if I’m dreaming. It reminds me of the first time the three of them showed up at my apartment together, to ask me if I wanted to date them officially.

“Jade, can we come in?” Ethan asks.