Page 67 of Substitute for Love

“I don’t know what Marshall has told you, but he wasn’t a good boyfriend. Sure, there were good moments. All of those were shared on social media.” Avery thought of the times they had hiked the Enchanted Aspen Trail every year—it was their thing. The fall colors, the crisp air, all of it made for a romantic experience. Those were the type of memories and pictures shared.

Claire listened, her eyebrows downturned with concern.

“But in between the good stuff, he wasn’t nice.” No, she wasn’t being completely honest. “He was mean, Claire. Put me down. Made me feel like I was worthless. Do you know how many times a day I think ‘Duh, Avery,’ thanks to him?”

Avery kept going, spilling her memories like a flood, Claire folding her arms and shaking her head, tears streaming down her face.

“So maybe you think you’re being a good sister to him or a good friend to me by trying to push us together, but you weren’t. And now you know the real reasons why I left.” Avery folded her arms, rubbing her hands up and down her arms in an effort to calm her frazzled nerves. “I should have left years ago. I… I deserve better, Claire.”

As the words left her mouth, Avery believed them. Made them a part of her being. In the same moment, she realized something.

“Gabe has made me realize I deserve better. He treats me like I’m the most special person in the world.”

Claire sniffed, offering a smile-frown, then opened her arms and reached over and held Avery in a big hug. “I had no idea. I’m so, so sorry.”

Avery cried too, but not tears of sadness. Calm washed over her. The friends parted and wiped away their tears.

“So, does that mean you’re with Gabe now?” Claire asked. “He’s quite a guy.”

Avery smiled and shrugged. “He really is. But like you said, I have to protect my heart. I need some time to heal. And he’s leaving. I need to focus on myself. My mom. My plan is to avoid Gabe as much as possible and stay friends. That way, he gets to follow his dream, and I get to follow mine.” Logically, it made sense. Avery just had to convince her heart.

Claire and Avery talked for hours, laughing about old times, but with her newfound confidence, Avery brought up the times that weren’t so laughable.

“Remember Steve, that guy who sat between us in science?” Avery asked.

“Oh yeah. Blonde, nerd, but somehow still hot?” Claire smiled and had a faraway look.

“That’s the one. Remember how he kept turning around and talking to me, but then you’d butt in and turn the attention to you?”

Claire’s faraway look changed to a downturned mouth and eyes. “Oh, but I didn’t mean to.”

“Or Javier on the track team, who always ran up to me in the hall, but then you’d put yourself between us and practically divert him down a different hall away from me?”

Claire gulped and shook her head. “You know how flirty I was. The last thing I wanted was to—”

“Hurt me? Well, you did. Only at the time I didn’t recognize it fully. I always felt second best to you, Claire. And I didn’t deserve to. If you had let those guys talk to me, maybe I would have had more experience with guys, instead of only dating Marshall, like you wanted.”

“But we were supposed to be sisters-in-law. Right?”

Avery closed her eyes. “We were teenagers. We had no business planning our lives like that. And you had no business planning my life for me.”

Claire rubbed her eyes. “I was doing that, wasn’t I? Gosh, I was so immature. Always wanting the attention on myself. No wonder I own a gym where all the guys have to look at me.”

Avery fought the urge to wrap her arm around her. For a little while at least, Avery wanted Claire to sit in the realization of how she had truly treated someone she had called best friend.

“I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I was a terrible friend.” Claire bit her lip and played with her hair. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

“Actually, there is one thing.”

Avery entered the school and approached the front desk. “Hello, Miss Williams. Ready for some drama today?” Doreen giggled as she handed her the sub binder.

“Uh, thanks. Yep, so ready.” She shook her head, grabbed the binder, and headed down the hall. She was looking forward to teaching freshman drama for the next two days. They’d be going over Shakespeare, or so the drama teacher had told her. She’d be working a few hours in the evening at the library as well, so the days would be long.

She unlocked the door to find a large classroom with chairs facing a small stage at the front flanked by curtains. How cute!

Avery sat at the teacher’s desk, reading through the sub plans. Apparently the lit class down the hall was going to join them in their reading ofRomeo and Juliet. Maybe it was the same language and lit class she had subbed for on her first day? It would be nice to meet the teacher.

She gathered copies ofRomeo and Julietoff the bookshelf and placed one on each chair, saying good morning as students came in. After the bell rang, the morning announcements finished, and she had taken roll, she explained the plans for the day.

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