Page 8 of Just Enough

He nodded then looked to me. “Have you made up your mind?”

I would not cry. I would not cry. He was smiling. Why did that hurt? I ran to him for everything, but I couldn’t this time. I hid my emotions with a fake smile.

I glanced over at his mom—who was giving me the death stare behind him—then back to him. “I came to say goodbye.” My voice sounded okay despite everything I was feeling.

He looked disappointed with my answer but accepting nonetheless like he knew it was going to be my answer from the very beginning.

He caught sight of the bag between us and his eyes sparkled. “What’s this?”

Flustered, I grabbed it quickly. “I was taking the trash out while waiting for you,” I lied.

“Here, let me get it for you.”

“No, I can take it down.”

But he refused, so by the time I followed him down to the trash bin, and he placed my things into it, shutting the lid over it, I both wanted to cry and run back into the house.

We stood back by his truck once again, and he kept looking at me. “Are you sure?” he asked again. I took in his slanted eyes that were my favorite feature on him. He took them after his Mom, along with her hair and flawless skin. He had his Dad’s strong features though, like his nose and jaw. I tried to picture how he would have looked if he had gotten his Dad’s blue eyes instead of his mom’s brown ones and decided brown would have been best, regardless. With all those combinations, it was easy to understand his popularity.

But this time my answer was the truth. “I’m sure.” The part of me that wanted to go died the moment I encountered his mother.

He seemed to debate something for a while before he quickly pulled me into a hug. It was awkward for both of us. We really didn’t show affection this way. The only time he was ever touchy with me was when he was comforting me during my breakups.

This was a goodbye hug, and I hated it.

I didn’t get to enjoy it.

Then he was pulling us apart, and I hated that too.

Because he was leaving, and I was staying.

The world didn’t want you to be close to me any longer, especially if it had a mind like your mother.

Out of fear, I grabbed his arm as he opened his truck door. He turned around to face me. I swallowed and met his eyes. “You’re gonna call me, right? You’re still going to come and see me when you visit?” I didn’t care that his mom was right next to us, heating me up with her gaze. “Right?”

He grinned. “Of course.”

“Promise?”

He laughed, but then something in my expression caused him to stop. “I promise. I’ll let you be my best man the day I get married, that’s how much I promise.”

His words eased the tension in me, and I burst into laughter. “Oh my God, please let me be your best man when you get married.”

He was laughing too. “Stay out of trouble while I’m gone,” he told me.

“Of course.” I nodded.

He didn’t seem to believe me. “Are you going to be okay?” he asked me.

“Yeah.”

“All right, say goodbye to your momma too,” Faith said, hurrying to get me out of the picture. I stepped aside and let her have him.

We said goodbye a few more times.

And then he was gone.

Chapter 2

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