Page 101 of Getting Over You

“I don’t understand,” she says softly. “I want to help.”

“I don’t want your help, and I certainly don’tneedit, Gigi. Have Rory take you,” I beg. “I need you to leave.”

She looks at me as if I’ve struck her across the face. I warned her. I told her this would happen, that a happily ever after wasn’t possible with me. It never will be. “But I—”

“Gigi. Go.Please leave.” A single tear falls, but Gigi is quick to swipe at it.“Please.”I can’t try to love you, no matter how much I want to. I will break you without even trying. That’s how this works with me, princess.

She’s flustered as she gathers her purse from the floor. She tucks her hair into a hair tie, like she needs to right herself before seeing Rory. She leaves without another word.

Nothing good will ever stay.

“I think we both need to get so intoxicated we forget today happened.”

EJ sits down on the barstool beside mine, flagging the bartender for a Jack and Coke. “Could not agree more,” he says. “How are you feeling about all this?”

“I’m worried for Eddy,” I admit, staring into my beer. “Something happened as soon as I knew. It’s like, you realize how temporary everything is. Like nothing’s worth keeping because—Ah, I need another beer. I can’t get sappy.”

I flag the bartender.

“You can be bummed. Sad. It’s reasonable—Eddy’s like a dad to you.”

“And you,” I remind him, jaw ticking. “We’re both losing the only other guy who gave a shit about us in our lives. Doesn’t that just…”

“Piss me off? Make me want to scream?”

I sigh. “Yeah.”

“Of course it does. You’re the one losing your future over it, though.”

Groaning, I lean against the bar and dig the heels of my hands into my eyes.

“You didn’t need me to say that, did you? Sorry, bro.” EJ downs his drink.

“The problem I’m having,” I begin as I sit up, then decide to gulp down what I can of my next beer, “is that I was so fucked after Mom called that I got mad at Gigi.”

EJ’s eyes widen. “Oh, no.”

I nod, jaw pulsing. “I knew she was gonna try to be all sentimental. I had to stop her before she had the chance to start.”

“The first thing I did was call Rory,” EJ tells me.

I scoff at him. “Won’t you just get fucking married already? Fucking Christ, man.”

“The first thing I wanted to do was call her,” he says. “I knew she’d know what to say. She always does.”

“And she probably told you it’s okay for you to feel your feelings and that she’d be there every step of the way, even after we lose Ed?”

“Something close,” EJ says. “Yeah.”

“And you believe that?”

“Of course I do,” he says. “I have no reason to think Rory won’t be there. She has been since I met her. I don’t think she’ll stop now.”

I consider this. “I’m glad that’s the case for you. Not everyone gets a perfect little life.”

“You know damn well my life is far from perfect.” EJ sips his drink. “My uncle’s dying too, you know?”

“But yourgirlfriendwill be there to lick your wounds. You’re fine.”

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