What the hell?
He turned and waved to the class, completely avoiding looking at me.
“Believe me, he will be easier on you than me, so you should look forward to his lectures.Now let’s get started…”
The rest of the class was a blur.I didn’t know what to do or how to act, and I didn’t feel Pierce’s eyes on me once.
I waited patiently for class to end, but as soon as the professor let us go, Pierce grabbed his bag and left with the professor, leaving me no chance to ask any more questions.
“And what happened at dinner?”Kenzie asks, eyes wide.
I shake my head.“There was no dinner.”
“Why not?”
“I texted him, but he never texted me back.Ever.He ignored me for the first month, then kept challenging me the rest of the semester.Poking holes and questioning every one of my responses.We’d go back and forth, and it just felt like he was trying to embarrass me.I was so hurt and broken that I’d put my blind faith in someone, and he just tossed me aside like I was nothing.Wouldn’t even give me the respect of a conversation.Mortification mixed with shame, and I dreaded going to that class the entire semester.I mean, we weren’t in love.It was one weekend, but it really felt like the start of something and… I don’t know.”
“You don’t have to justify what you felt.Your feelings are valid, and right now I want to stomp out of here, up that mountain, and push him off a cliff.”Tessa goes to the cupboard and takes a Christmas cookie out of the tin someone must have brought.
“But she’s just going to drown her anger in sugar instead.”Kenzie laughs.
“I should tell your brother.That’s what I should do.”Tessa points the cookie at us, making her way back over to the couch.Before she reaches it, she stops, goes back, swipes the tin off the counter, and comes back, setting it in her lap.
“You’re not telling anyone.It was six years ago.Look at me.I’m doing great.”I hold out my arms.
Kenzie quirks an eyebrow.
“What?”My forehead wrinkles.
“You’re not the easy-going, smart-mouthed Brynn I’m used to.Him being here is affecting you, so tell us what you’re thinking.”Kenzie jabs me with a question I’m not ready to answer.
“Give me some time to get over the fact that I’m sharing a villa, my holiday, and my family with him this year.I don’t know… part of me thinks that maybe it feels unfinished because I never got to say goodbye.I didn’t attend the final class because my grandpa was having surgery.”
“I guess that could be it,” Tessa says with a frown.
“Or maybe it’s just that I need to process the fact that he wants a second chance with me.Said he wants me back.”
“Aww…” Kenzie says, her hand over her heart.
Tessa scowls at her best friend.“Not aww… try asshole.”
I raise my hand at Tessa.“I love this whole older sister protective vibe you got going on, but that might be a bit much.”
“So, you’ve forgiven him?”Tessa asks.
“I don’t know.I think I’m grown up enough to understand why he backed away, even if he did handle it terribly, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to trust that he won’t hurt me again.”
They nod.
“Understandable,” Tessa says.
Kenzie places her hand on my knee.“Just don’t miss the opportunity.I mean.”She glances at Tessa and puts her hand up to her as if that’s going to keep Tessa from saying anything.“He clearly still affects you, and I see how you look at him sometimes.”
“I do not.”
She gives me an expression asking if I really want to argue about this.
“Ugh,” I say and let my head flop back into the couch cushion.