Page 66 of Perfect on Paper

“Yeah, I guess.”

Brougham hadn’t come over to the side of the pool, so I got the feeling he didn’t want to talk about this, for whatever reason. I was so curious to know exactly what had gone down yesterday, though. Why was he choosingnowto be so nonchalant about it all?

Maybe this very nonchalance was what had changed Winona’s mind. That thought worried me a little, because I wasn’t sure how long Brougham would be able to keep his investment at arm’s length like this.

But at the end of the day, it wasn’t my place to bring up that concern. He didn’t need me anymore, so that was that, right? I’d done what I set out to do, 95 percent success rate retained. And it’s not like we were ever friends. Colleagues, really. And I’d still see him around school. There were still several months until summer.

So why did I feel like this? Like vines had grown around my heart and compressed it, and snaked up into my throat to choke my airway? Like something awful was coming, only I didn’t know what? Was it really a gut feeling about Winona? Was I worried for Brougham?

Brougham tipped his head to one side as I hesitated. What was he thinking? Did he want me to leave?

WhywasI still here?

I guessed, if I was being honest with myself… I guessed that Ihadsort of considered us friends. Newly minted ones, maybe, but still. Was that just not a thing anymore, now that I’d served my purpose?

Finally, Brougham broke the awkwardness. “You waiting to walk me to my car?”

It was hard to tell from his tone if he was teasing. My cheeks burned. “No, just waiting for Mom to finish. Sorry, I’ll—”

“When does she finish?” Brougham interrupted, kicking his way to the edge of the pool and propping himself up on folded arms.

“About thirty minutes or so.”

“Bear with me? It’ll only take me a couple to shower.”

I nodded, and some of the tension left my shoulders.

Brougham reemerged from the changing rooms wearing fresh, casual clothes and carrying his bag in front of his chest.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “You didn’t have to cut your training short for me.”

He shrugged. “It’s chill.”

We walked, side by side in silence, through the halls and outside. The sun glared down onto us, and I ducked my head to let my eyes adjust.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, his tone cautious.

Not really.

I’m worried you aren’t going to be okay.

I don’t know if I’m happy you’re with Winona, after our talk at Disneyland.

I want to tell you that but I don’t want to be responsible for breaking up another friend’s budding romance, because I don’t trust my biases anymore.

I forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah,” I said in the chirpiest voice I could muster. “Totally. I’m thrilled for you.”

Brougham shrugged one shoulder. “It was touch and go for a minute there.”

I grinned. “Not really. I knew from the start you’d be able to get her back.”

He almost smiled at this. “Because of my charisma?”

“No, because of your modesty.”

He shifted his backpack. “Is that what you would’ve written in my email? Be charismatic and modest?”

“Nah. I would’ve told you to stop trying to preempt people’s rejection of you.”

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