Page 104 of Getting Over You

I narrow my eyes, jaw ticking. “Dude. Please. I—I need some time before I see Gigi, alright? I gotta… I just need time. I need you to get me time.” I pause to give myself time to think. “But you have to promise me you won’t tell Rory.”

Chapter thirty-four

Iposition the last of the balloon arch over the canvas I had made. I readjust the cake on its tray.

I check the time. EJ was supposed to have Cade here ten minutes ago. He’s nowhere to be found, and I’m starting to get nervous.

I wouldn’t be as nervous if I wasn’t intending for tonight to be The Night. But this is it. So, Cade is late for the most important day of my life and his.

Wonderful.

I consider texting again, and as I’m about to retrieve my phone and send a strongly worded message, Cade and EJ are coming over the dunes.

“Gigiiii!” Cade says. “You. Are. In. Trouble.”

Oh, no.

“Cade,” EJ says, a warning edge to his tone. “Let me—”

“I’m gonna talk to her, alright? Leave me alone,” he slurs, walking toward me on unsteady legs.

“EJ,” I start, looking at him, “what’s going on?”

“I told you no birthday shit,” Cade grumbles as he reaches me on the blanket. “We aren’t dating, Gigi. This looks like we’re dating! We’re not! Listen to me.”

“Cade—”

“No, you listen to me,” he says. I purse my lips, waiting. “You aren’t my girlfriend. I don’t want you to be. And this—” He motions to the setup I spent hours painstakingly creating. I fight bursting into sobs as he jabs angry fingers at every aspect, scowling. The picnic lunch of charcuterie and champagne, the canvas print of the four of us on the beach on July fourth. The ice cream and pizza from the Pizza Ice Cream Parlor.

Every aspect of our perfect summer that I’ve curated. He hates it all.

“What the hell is all this?” he asks. He’s pleading with me. “Hook-ups don’t do this, Gigi.” He looks at everything once more, shaking his head. He clenches his eyes shut tight, like he can’t bear to look. When he opens them again, he says, “I know you don’t understand how this works, but know this. That—whatever this is that you’ve done? You shouldn’t do this for a guy who only wants you for sex, alright? It’ll scare them away.”

My heart drops into my stomach.

“Hey, man.” EJ walks toward Cade, standing with me on the blanket. “You don’t have to be a dick about it.”

“I do,” Cade says, not looking at EJ. “You don’t understand, EJ. She won’t get it otherwise.”

“Cade.” My voice barely comes out. “I didn’t—”

“And you wanna know something?” Cade laughs to himself. “I got a girl’s number last night. And then went home with her! I’m allowed to do that. You know why? Because I’m not your boyfriend!”

It takes everything I have not to start sobbing. I can’t—and will not—give Cade Deans the satisfaction of watching me cry over him.

I will not grovel. I’m worth more than groveling.

“Gigi,” EJ says, “he had a lot to drink before we came here. He was mad about the tattoo shop and Eddy and—”

“It’s not the shop!” Cade says loudly, whirling around to face EJ. “It’s that I feel suffocated by a girl who thinks she matters to me when she doesn’t.”

That makes me fall to my knees. My heart falls out of me completely and lands at my side. I can see it there, still beating, begging to be put back in place so I may be made whole.

But it’s too late, because Cade steps on it. I watch the pieces shatter irreparably when he does. Absolutely helpless.

“Whatever this is,” Cade slurs, “it’s over.” Then he starts up the dunes again.

“You are making the biggest ass of yourself right now,” EJ mutters to him as he passes. “You’re saying things you can’t take back right now, dude. Respectfully, shut up.”

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