“Yeah. It’s fine. I’d had a shitty few days and needed to blow off some steam. I’m all good now.”
She glances down and plays with her chips, clearly contemplating saying something.
“Spit it out,” I tell her.
“Are you—do you—is there a chance you and Ben will get back together?”
“No,” I answer firmly.
“Maine isn’t that far from New York. You guys could make it work.”
“It’s not a question of geography. It’s…we weren’t right together.”
“What are you talking about? You guys were perfect together.”
“No.” I shake my head. “We weren’t.”
If Ben told David what happened with Rowan, it doesn’t seem like he mentioned it to Mary. I doubt Mary would be asking at all if she knew that Ben mourned our breakup by sleeping with his best friend.
Mary bites her bottom lip. “Are you sure you’re not just saying that because you’re…upset about everything?”
“I’m sure,” I assure her. “I’m—I’m notin lovewith him, Mary. And honestly, I’m not sure if I ever really was. I loved him, but not the way I should have. I never got giddy around Ben. I never lay awake at night and replayed our conversations. When we broke up, my first thought was about New York and howourplan had becomemyplan.”
Mary bites her bottom lip. “I just want you to be happy, Eve. I understand things feel different now, after what happened, but think about this weekend, okay? We only have so much time left, and you never know. Maybe things will work out if you spend more time together.”
I nod, because that’s simpler than telling Mary the reason I’m certain Ben and I will never get back together.
The reason I’m second-guessing if I’ve ever been in love.
The reason that’s following Rylan out of the café.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
HUNTER
Aidan and Conor are both sitting in the kitchen when I walk inside.
“Finally!” Aidan crows when he spots me. He squints at the schedules on the fridge. “Diplomacy, Crisis, and War in the Modern Era ended two hours ago. Where have you been?”
“I was in the library,” I answer, pulling a container of leftover pasta out of the fridge. “I just came home for some dinner and my laptop charger, then I’m headed back.”
“The library?” Aidan looks aghast. Prior to his tutoring arrangement, I’m pretty sure he had no clue where the library was located on campus. “It’sFriday night.”
“Yeah, and I’ve got to turn in my thesis presentation on Tuesday.”
“Yeah, and that leaves Monday to get it done.”
I snort as the microwave beeps, pulling my steaming pasta out. “You sure you only failed the one class, Phillips?”
Aidan flips me off as I blow on a bite. “Iunfailed, dick. Come on. The lacrosse team won their first game of the season earlier. They’re throwing a party at Willis’s tonight.”
“Good for them.”
“Good forus. When was the last time we all went to a party together?”
“The Thursday before break,” I reply.
Conor rolls his eyes. “That was a rhetorical question, Morgan.”