Page 79 of Sparks Like Ours

Hadley scooted her chair closer to Gia’s and looped their arms.“Is everything okay with Elle?”

Gia took a deep breath, hating the fact that tears filled her eyes.She was so not a crier, especially when it came to her own issues. She usuallysucked it up and dealt with it. Apparently, this time was different. Herstomach felt off and her muscles tense. Not to mention, her coping skills wereat an all-time low. “We haven’t talked in a couple of days. We’ve hit someissues, and I don’t know that there’s a solution.”

“Why is that?” Autumn asked, quirking her head to the side.

“Elle’s lost number one, I’ve fallen to five with no clue how toget any better except to go back to what I was doing before.”

“Living the boring single life,” Hadley said with a pout.

“Trust me, not what I want. But am I supposed to give upeverything I’ve ever dreamed of? Not to mention, she’s pulled awayexponentially.”

“Maybe you could just put it on hold, until the season plays out,”Isabel said. “I’m just thinking out loud here.”

Hadley shook her head firmly. “And then Elle, who it turns out iswonderful, meets someone else and gets confused about what she wants, which isGia. Or worse, resents Gia for pulling away from her to begin with. No.”

“I agree with you,” Gia said. “But what’s the alternative? Watcheverything I’ve worked for evaporate?”

“Yes!” Hadley exclaimed.

Autumn held up a hand. “Gia has to do what’s right for her.”

She shrugged. “If only I knew how.”

“You have to talk to her,” Autumn said, gently. “See what shethinks.”

Gia nodded and blew out a breath. “What kind of wuss am I that theconcept terrifies me?”

“You’re a wuss with a very big heart,” Isabel said, “which is themain I reason I let you win atMs.Pac-Man.”

“Thanks, Iz,” Gia said, ignoring that last part, because it wasasinine. “I guess I should give her a call. Or should I maybe wait untiltomorrow?”

“Tonight,” her three friends said, in unison.

Gia stood, feeling unsteady on her feet. “Maybe one more sip.”Isabel passed the flask. It was now or never. “Tonight it is.”

* * *

When Elle opened the door, it was close to eleven p.m. Seeing Giastanding in front of her after days apart left her breathless. Gia’s hair was downand tousled from the wind. She wore jeans and a baseball T-shirt, white withnavy sleeves. Elle wanted nothing more than to walk into Gia’s arms and inhalethe scent she’d come to love and miss. Yet their circumstances kept her rootedright where she stood.

“Hey,” she said, as nonchalantly as possible, knowing theirconversation would likely be anything but. Fear prickled at the back of herneck. She stepped aside. “Come in.”

“Thanks.” Gia smiled as she passed. But it was the way she smiledthat sliced at Elle. Politely, as if they hadn’t just shared a handful ofamazing months together. Was this who they were now? Elle wasn’t sure she couldwrap her mind around this new dynamic, if she even wanted to try.

“I’m sorry it’s so late,” Gia said. “I just had a lot on my mindand thought maybe you did, too.”

“Yeah. I do.” Elle nodded and headed to the couch, her stomachtight. “Why don’t we sit?”

“The fluffy couch,” Gia said fondly, almost as if she were sayinggoodbye to it.

Elle wanted to scream. She hated all of this so much. “I justthink—”

“Lately, it’s seemed—”

Elle smiled at their overlap. “You go ahead.”

“No, you can.”

“All right.” Elle took a moment to order her thoughts, to steadyher heart. “I think it’s safe to say that we’ve both been feeling the stress ofcompetition and our lack of performance.”

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