Page 78 of Survival

“No. I wouldn’t.” Emma looked up, finally meeting Mateo’s eyes with nearly the same intensity he’d been giving her. “Would you really want me to put a rift between me and my dad just so we can be together for a couple of years? If that,” she barely mumbled at the end.

Mateo winced. “How do you know it would only be a couple of years?”

Emma tossed a hand up in exasperation. “Oh, come on, Mateo. It’s not like either of us ever expected this to last forever.”

Our table fell completely silent. Mateo’s face was frozen. He looked like he’d been slapped. “Why not?” he finally managed to ask. “Jet and Annie know they’re endgame. So do Izzy and Tucker. Who’s to say that can’t be us?”

“Because it’s not!” Emma cried. “It’s too hard. I don’t want to do this anymore. I can’ttakeit anymore. I’m sorry.”

Mateo’s eyes narrowed again. “We never even got the chance.” He stepped back and took off, pushing out the doors, more malice in his words than I knew how to process.

Jet and Tucker exchanged looks and hurried after him while Emma buried her face in her arms. I reached over to pat her back, my eyes falling to where Nic pretended to be studying a napkin he was tearing into tiny pieces.

“I’m sorry, guys. I’m making your prom suck.”

“Don’t worry about it, Ems. I blame it on your dad, not you,” I tried to comfort.

“Don’t.” Emma said into her arms before sitting up, blinking with teary eyes. “It’s my fault for putting everyone through this for so long. I should have let Mateo go when my dad first went off. I mean, come on.Mateo? What was I thinking?”

“You liked him. That’s what you were thinking.”

Emma shrugged. “Yeah, but honestly…I’m glad it’s over. I just wish I would have broken it off sooner. I wish I’d realized Iwantedto do it sooner. It wasn’t worth everything it cost.”

Nic looked up from his napkin, his confused expression matching mine, and we exchanged a look. If there was any time for our truce, this was it.

“Ems, you’re not making much sense,” I hedged.

She sighed and wiped away a few silent tears with her hands, and Nic handed her his handkerchief again. “Thanks.” Emma smiled and dabbed at her eyes this time, careful not to smear her makeup. She glanced around us before taking a steadying breath and lowered her voice, like she was telling a secret.

“You heard the fighting, Annie.”

“The fighting?” Emma gave me a look. “Oh.” Her parents.

“What you heard that night was nothing. They were being quiet. They got into ahugefight today before we left for your house. It’s actuallywhywe left for your house. My dad got so mad that he wasn’t even going to let me come with Nic, even though it’s not an actual date, and my mom got angry. I meanangry. They started screaming about affairs and cheating and payback, andthe only reason it stopped was because my mom yelled she wanted a divorce.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“That’s awful.”

Nic and I took turns consoling, and somehow, at that moment, that truce we’d tried to set had really fallen into place. Maybe not for forever, but for tonight, I knew it had.

Emma dabbed away a few more tears. “Yeah, saying she wanted a divorce was bad enough, but when my dad told her he’d already filed one, I sort of zoned out. Like it had to be a dream. Until I realized my mom and I were driving around town for an hour, crying, before we calmed down enough to go over to your place.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?”If I’d known, I’d have jumped in that asshole’s face as soon as he’d walked in here tonight.I shot her dad a glare instead.

Emma took a deep breath, slowly releasing it in a long sigh. “It would have just ruined everyone’s night. Not worth it when I realized I caused all of it myself.”

Nic shook his head, his voice stern. “No. You didn’t.”

“I heard that other fight, Emma. I know what happened. This wasn’t you.”

“Yeah, whatever.” She shifted in her chair, composing herself. “What time is it?”

Nic slid his phone from his pocket. “Ten past midnight.”

“Do you think it’s too early to head down to the beach for the party? I heard that Corey’s going to have more than beer tonight. I’d love to get my hands on some Jello shots. Or Jack would be good if there’s Coke.”

I was just about to tell her I’d find Jet and Tucker so we could all head over when Nic stood up and grabbed Emma’s empty cup.

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