Page 60 of Pretty Broken Things

“My life is a lot different now. When I left town I had nothing but the clothes on my back. I gave your mom my car keys, and the last time I spent the money my father gave me was to buy a bus ticket.”

“But why? I don’t understand why you’d walk away from all of that,” I comment.

“My father threatened to send you to jail for hurting your mom. That’s why your dad spent almost no time in jail. I wasn’t sure if your mom would go along with it. Our deal was if I broke up with you, he’d let you stay at our house, and he’d pay for your college,” she says.

Shane has been right this whole time, I should have talked to her. “I wouldn’t have wanted any of that.”

She bobs her head. “I did what I thought I had to do to protect you.”

“We lost a fucking year, Tess!” I jump up off the bed and pace back and forth.

Tessa scoffs. “I lost a year. You only waited four months before you moved on.”

“You. Left. Me,” I say, hitting my chest after each word.

She looks away from me. “And you’re never going to forgive me for it, are you?”

“I don’t know if I can,” I answer her truthfully. What I don’t tell her is how much I want to.

ChapterTwenty-Seven

Tessa

Several things happenedover the next few months that changed all my plans. Tracy and I came to try and talk Lydia into leaving with us, but instead she convinced us to stay in Playa with her. My mom’s job sent her overseas on an assignment. It came with a huge promotion, but she sounded hesitant when she called to tell me. I knew she’d stay if I were in Seattle alone. Instead I impulsively told her I actually wanted to go to the community college with my friends and apply to the University of Washington later.

Ford and I manage to socialize when everyone is together, but otherwise we haven’t been alone together. It feels too dangerous. We haven’t said a word about our failed relationship either. There’s not a lot left to say. Shane and I have actually become good friends, which is the only reason I see Ford at all.

Even though Ford and Jen have broken up, they have actually become good friends. Not like how Ford and I fake it. I understand why, she’s amazing. I wanted to hate her, but it’s impossible. Now I’ve got three best friends.

I would say everything is going great. I’m doing well in my classes. Living with Tracy and Lydia is like an unending slumber party. I should be having the time of my life, but I’m stuck.

Tracy drops down next to me at the student union building. “Okay, we’re going out tonight. It’s time to dust off the cobwebs and get back out there.

I groan. Dating is the last thing on my mind. “I’ve got a paper due.”

“Yeah, next week. No excuses. You guys have been broken up for almost a year and a half. It’s time to call time of death, because that relationship is over. Bury it and move on,” she insists.

“I’m not getting out of this, am I?” I ask.

She pulls a face. “If I were a magic eight ball I’d be telling yououtlook not so good. So get your mind wrapped around the concept, because we’re going out.”

* * *

I fidgetin front of my mirror. “I don’t know about this, Trace.”

She leans against the doorframe. “I do, you look hot.”

“Who looks hot?” Jen asks, and hands Tracy a drink. She looks over at me and wolf whistles. “Hot damn, you better not change.”

I look at her in the mirror. “You know, I don’t think Tracy has been a good influence on you.”

There’s a knock at the front door. Tracy winces. “So don’t get pissed off at me.”

I exhale a calming breath. “What did you do, Trace?”

“I might have invited Jess to come out tonight,” she says in a rush, running all her words together.

Lydia groans from where she’s sitting at my vanity. She puts down the eyeliner she’s applying. “Please say you didn’t. The best thing about graduating is that we got to leave hood rats like Jess in the rearview mirror. Now you bring her back?”

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