Page 1 of My Ex's Best Friend

1

KIERA

“Oh my god, I can’t wait to get there. I just have to be careful not to kill anyone.” I laugh.

“Jesus, Kiera,” Tammy replies. “If that is a concern right now, why are you on the phone with me instead of focusing on driving?”

“I am focusing. I’m following all the traffic rules like I’m supposed to. Heck, you’re in my bra right now, so I can drive hands-free.”

“I’m where right now?” She bursts out laughing.

“The stupid rental doesn’t even have Bluetooth,” I scowl. “It was the last one they had. I didn’t have options, but I don’t think I care, as long as I get there. I miss him so much.”

“Well, you’re at a university town when fall break is about to start. What else were you expecting?” She giggles.

“I hate when you’re so logical.” I blow a breath out through my mouth before giggling too.

“That’s what you get for abandoning me on fall break in our senior year,” Tammy says. “We were supposed to go to Caymans together.”

“And we will,” I tell her. “Next week. Right after I surprise my boyfriend and we spend some time together. I’m eighteen now, so this is happening.”

“Oh my God. I’ll never see you again because as soon as Chris finally gets his sweaty paws on you, he’ll never get them off.”

I know she’s joking, but there’s an undercurrent to it.

She sighs. “All joking aside, are you sure about this? This is huge.”

The truth is, I’m excited to be with him, to give myself to him for the first time. I might not be thinking about forever with him yet, and it might be scary because it’s my first relationship ever. But he is Jake’s friend. And I trust Jake the most in the entire world. He gave us his blessing when we first started, and he wouldn’t do that if Chris wasn’t a great guy.

“I’m sure.” I nod, telling it as much to myself as to her. “It will be an awesome surprise, and he’ll die when he sees me. We are going to have so much fun together.”

“Yeah, that’s the other thing, though,” Tammy says. “Are you sure he will be in his room? It’s fall break, after all. Maybe he’s chilling somewhere.”

“We talked last night, and he said he didn’t have time for chilling or partying. He’s been working so hard, and he’s still not done with some of his assignments.” I sigh. “I just think he deserves a bit of pampering, so here I am.”

“I don’t know. Guys usually don’t like girls to just show up like this.”

“It’s okay. If he knew I was coming, he would have insisted on going to the airport. I don’t want to distract him. I just want to be there for him.”

“I hope Chris knows how unbelievably lucky he is to have you.”

“I know. And it’s time to take this next step. I’m ready. And if I can get the navigation right, I think I can find his place before midnight.”

“Maybe take your phone out of the bra.” Tammy giggles. “Send me a snap when you do find him.”

I take the phone out, turn it off, and thumb down to the navigation window.

I came here a few times before, but Chris was always driving, and I was always too distracted by him to notice the road. Besides, the last time I came was a few months ago. We haven’t had time to meet between me applying to colleges and taking AP classes, and him with all his schoolwork. It becomes kind of hard when we live several states apart.

My best friend, and the reason I even got to know Chris at all, is in the same fraternity, so they live together. Jake doesn’t know that I’m coming either because I didn’t want news of my arrival to go back to Chris.

But as I roam these strange streets, I’m beginning to think I might have messed up.

I try to zoom into the street Chris is supposed to be at. But all the navigation app does is confuse me.

I crane my head out the window when two girls walk past me. “Hey!” I call out. “Hey.”

They glance at me once, and instead of answering or even acknowledging me, they pick up pace. I continue to roll my car down the street while calling out to them, but at this point, they’re practically running.

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