Page 113 of Getting Over You

“Well.” I look away from Mom. “I wasn’t in the mood for it.”

“That has never happened,” my mom says. “Ever.”

“I know.”

“Oh!” she jumps, rushing to the kitchen table and retrieving an envelope. “This came for you, from your—From Belinda.”

“Belinda sent me mail?”

Mom waves a hand at me after handing over the tiny envelope. It looks just big enough for a thank you card. “I don’t know. Just open it.”

“Now?”

Mom looks guilty. “If you don’t want to do it in front of me, you don’t have to.”

Too late. I’m tearing it open. All I find inside, folded in half, is a check.

For twenty thousand dollars. And it’s made out to me.

“Oh!” Mom exclaims as she peers over my shoulder. “That’s—Oh.”

“I know.”

“What is it?” she asks. Then, “I mean, I know what it is, I just… Why?”

I wrack my brain. I surely didn’t make even close to this amount at the diner this summer. Belinda didn’t even do something this out of pocket when I graduated high school. That would have made more sense than this.

“Cade… The guy I was—Wasn’t dating. He—Gah. I can’t stop relating everything back to him. I sound crazy, don’t I?”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Mom asks. “The tattoo shop guy or this windfall you just came upon?”

“No,” I snap. “I don’t. I just…” I move my hair away from my tattoo, so Mom can see. “I got a tattoo for him, Mom.” My eyes are welling before I can stop them.

“Oh, sweetheart,” my mom says, and pulls me into an embrace as I break into sobs. “It’s okay.”

“I miss him,” I whimper. “I miss him so much.”

“I know, baby.”

“He—He was such an asshole.”

“But you loved him even though,” Mom realizes, pulling me in tighter. She starts stroking my hair. “I’ve been there. I’m so sorry.”

“He was so difficult.” I choke back more sobs. “He was so—”

“You don’t have to convince me, Gigi. I hate him already because he hurt my girl.”

My girl.Oh, no.

I’m sobbing again before I know it.

I have to get out of the house. Or at least have a reason to shower so I can force myself to do it.

And watching people fall in love viaThe Bacheloris not the best choice right now.

“Gigi?” I look away from the TV. Mollie stands in my doorway. “You okay?”

“Catching up onThe Bachelor,” I tell her. “I’m still appalled at that second rose ceremony. How insane.”

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