Page 59 of The Write Off

“I hate him. The next time you talk to that asshole, I want you to tell him that I hate him.” She is practically foaming at the mouth and her response validates my own.

“You’re supposed to keep me out of trouble, Betts, not get me into it.”

“You’re right.” She plays with the end of her braid. “But we could key his car. I just want you to know it’s an option.”

“As much as he deserves it, I’m going to play it calm and cool, for once in my life. At least until I hear Logan’s take.” He’s known him for years and I trust him to give me his honest take of what happened.

“I really like him, by the way, Rill. I’ve been trying to see you to tell you that, but you haven’t been responding to my texts.”

“I’m sorry.” I have been dodging her since that night at Maggie and Callum’s. “I just figured that I’d save you the pain of having to choose sides, and me the resentment of having you pick Josh if it came to that.”

Her face falls and her shoulders sag as she lets out a deep sigh.

“There are no sides, Rilla. We’re all on the same team and if you and Josh don’t grow up and work your shit out, we all lose. And for your information, I have told him he was in the wrong at Maggie’s. He knows he fucked up. But he’s been trying to apologize for weeks, and by avoiding him, you’re just proving him right. You won’t talk to either of us–”

“Because I miss when I used to be able to talk to either of you without talking to both of you. You two are a unit now. You’re this matching set that can’t be separated. And I don’t want to separate you. I love that you two found each other, I really do. But I used to feel like I could tell you anything, Betty. Now, the rare time I see you without Josh, I worry that whatever I tell you will get back to him. Do I have to preface what I say with ‘don’t tell my brother’? And if I do that, I feel like I’m asking you to violate his trust.”

I can’t even look at her. I know I’m being selfish, but being with Logan has seemed to unlock some sort of honesty floodgate, and now that it’s open, I can’t force it closed.

“Look, I know that things have changed and I’m the one who needs to adjust. I’m just struggling, I guess. I thought moving here would make us all closer, but I feel like we’re further apart.”

She wiggles her way into my viewpoint, making me look at her. “If I showed up at your door and told you that Josh and I had a fight, would you throw up your hands and call yourself Switzerland? No. You would pull me inside, pour me a drink, and let me vent my frustrations. The same rule applies for you and Josh. If he’s pissing you off, you can talk to me about it.”

“But he’s your boyfriend.”

“And you’re my best friend. You can always use me as your sounding board for all things, even Josh. And I won’t go running to tell him what you say. I still haven’t told him you made out with Drew Connolly in junior year.”

I shudder, making a face, “Thanks for that reminder. My brain had blocked that particular traumatic memory and you’ve set it free.”

“I’m just trying to say that I’ll always be here for you, regardless. And maybe we could hang out on our own more?”

“I would love that, really. Thanks. For being here.”

Her clear green eyes shine as she beams at me. “Always.”

Chapter 29

Logan

“Nice!”

Callum slaps me good-naturedly on the back after I sink my second three-pointer. He’s on my team with a guy introduced to me as Phillips and we are dominating this friendly game of three-on-three.

Well, mostly friendly.

Josh gives me an annoyed look. “I thought you said you weren’t good.”

I shrug. “Maybe I’m getting better with age.”

It’s not that I wasn’t good; I was on the varsity team, after all. But I was far from one of the best on my team. Two guys I played with actually went pro a few years later.

With every dribble, pass, and shot, I feel the game coming back to me like the lyrics of a song I once knew by heart.

Nostalgia is a funny thing. The familiar sounds of sneakers squeaking against the polished wood floor, the rhythmic thud of the basketball as we play. All that’s missing is my high school coach, red-faced from shouting at us to pick up the pace.

I’ve never been to this community center before, but Rilla told me that Callum donated the funding to put in the brand-new court we’re playing on.

“Don’t listen to him, man.” Callum grabs his water bottle, grinning. “He’s just not used to losing.”

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