Page 45 of Summertime Friends

“Is everything okay?”

“I believe I should be the one asking you that.” He snorts.

“What do you mean?”

“Liam isn’t only an old friend, is he?”

I shake my head no. “I mean, he is—technically. We haven’t seen or spoken to each other in over three years.”

“But before that?”

“But before that, he wasn’t just my friend.”

“Or a summer fling.”

Even though I know it will hurt both of us, I don’t avoid the truth. “Liam was my first love, my everything.”

“It sort of feels like he still is.”

“He isn’t.”Is that the truth?

Brandon snuffs out a laugh. “How he looked at you last week clearly shows he isn’t over you.”

Is Liam not over me?

“Don’t read into it. It was a surprise encounter,” I say.

“I’m not reading into it, Emme. It’s quite obvious,” Brandon says sternly. “Do you love me?”

“You were,” he nods as I finish speaking, “listening. What did you hear?”

“Enough to know that this,” he points between us. “Is not what you want.”

“That’s not true. I want you; of course, I do. I want the future and life we’ve been planning with you.” I try taking a step toward him, but he retreats backward another.

“Then why haven’t we set a wedding date yet?”

“We need a venue first, and we haven’t found one yet that we both like.”

“Cut the bullshit, Em. We haven’t found one you like. And you know what? I’m starting to think that’s a load of shit, and you don’t want to set a date because I’m not who you see a future with.”

“Brandon,” I sigh out his name.

“Tell me the truth right now, Emme.” His voice is surprisingly calm.

“I do love you—” I play with the engagement ring on my finger. The feeling of it sitting there burns my skin. “—but not that way.”

“I know I’m going to regret asking this. Do you think you ever could?”

I shake my head no. A tear trickles down my cheek as his heart hardens against me.

“What am I to you? What was I when we met?”

He’s going to hate me, but I can’t lie to him. He deserves the truth.

“A harbor from the loneliness I felt. You—there was something about you that filled the void he left. For the first time since Liam, I tried to let myself be in love. I tried to be in love with you.”

“My mom was right about you. She saw through you and warned me. Told me that there was something about you that was cold and guarded. That you were using me, how hesitant you were when I asked you to marry me.”

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