Page 117 of Come Break My Heart Again

“I’ll meet you guys up there,” I say, then pass the stairwell and follow my mom into the kitchen.

“I would have had some refreshments ready had I known you were bringing company over,” she tells me, pausing by the kitchen island and resting a palm on the granite. Her bracelets clink against the stone.

“Like I said, we’re just getting changed quickly. You didn’t need to do anything, Mom.”

She hums, clearly disagreeing.

“Where’s Dad?” I ask.

“Work.”

My dad works late a lot. I don’t think it’s because he’s cheating or because he’s avoiding being home—he just genuinely loves his job. But it makes me sad, imagining my mom sitting alone in this big, empty house next fall.

“How did the game go?” she questions.

“We lost.”

“Did you talk to Archer?”

I clench my jaw. Shake my head.

She backed off some after we first broke up. My mom thinks she knows better than me, but she’s not on a mission to make me miserable. I told her I wasn’t happy with Archer, and she’saccepted that as much as she’s capable of. Meaning she’s waiting for me to grow up and realize he’s actually perfect for me.

“If the team’s doing that poorly, I’m sure he’s having a hard time.”

“Not my problem.”

“That’s not very becoming behavior, Elodie.”

I exhale. “Juliet and Keira are waiting …”

“Fine. Make sure you’re home by midnight. The Historical Society brunch is tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I remember.”

The Honor Forum requires a certain number of volunteer hours for membership. My mom arranged for me to do mine through one of the organizations she’s on the board of.

“Have fun with your friends.”

“Yeah. Thanks.” I turn and head upstairs.

Keira and Juliet have already changed. I pull on a skirt and a cute top, touch up my makeup, and then follow my best friends back downstairs. I grab my keys to drive myself so that I’ll save Juliet a stop on the way home later.

Music is blaring when we meet up again outside of Maddie’s mansion. After three-plus years of these parties, I know exactly what to expect inside.

We head into the kitchen first. I opt for a seltzer since I drove.

Maddie approaches me as I’m pouring the fizzy water into a cup. I hate drinking out of cans.

“Hey, Elle.”

“Hi, Mads,” I reply. “Cute dress.”

“Thanks. It’s new. Figured it’s my last chance before it’s snowing out.”

“Uh-huh,” I say.

It hasn’t dipped below fifty yet. I think blizzards are a long ways off.

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