Page 148 of Can't Text This

I open my mouth to speak again and she holds her hand up, silencing me.

“It’s fine, I get it,” she says. “Now when you say things were getting serious between you two, you mean…”

“Dating. We were dating. It was official boyfriend-girlfriend type shit.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Is this weird for you? To talk about this?”

“We arewaypast that. I just want you to be happy, Robbie. If it’s with Miss Andrews, then that’s who it’s with.”

“Monty. Her name is Monty.”

“That’s…different, but I suppose it fits her. She’s not your usual type, huh?”

“Not in the slightest, and I think that might be what I like about her most. She’s unique, fresh, fun.”

“Stupid pretty,” Holly interjects.

I wince at the jealousy I hear in her tone and she notices, waving her hand.

“Nope. No. Sorry. Ignore me.”

“She said the same thing about you, if that makes you feel any better. We didn’t know she was Xavie’s teacher until the second parent-teacher meeting.”

Holly’s brown eyes widen. “How is that possible? Did you two not discuss…well, anything?”

“We were doing the light and fluffy thing.”

“Ah, yes. Makes sense. No strings attached—that’s your MO.”

“It’s hard to attach strings when you have a kid in the mix.”

She lifts her hands. “Trust me, I get it. That’s why I kept crawling back to you. It was easy, and easy is always nice.” She huffs. “Look, I’m gonna say something, and I don’t want you to get mad, okay?”

My sagging shoulders lift at her tone, ready for whatever she wants to throw at me. Holly has always been a straight shooter, and it’s one of my favorite things about her.

“Hit me with it.”

“First, I think you’re a fucking moron for breaking up with her.”

I laugh at her bluntness, because it’s so Holly.

“Second, you’re running because you’re scared, because you’re used to easy. You fell into that pattern and it’s hard for you to break it. This girl, though, she challenges you. You like it, but you’re afraid to like it too much.” She gives me a sad smile. “Though based on the way you look right now, I think it’s a little too late for that. So, just give in. Fight for her.”

“Fight for her?” I repeat.

“Oh yeah. Women love it when men do that shit. You’ll learn eventually.”

“You broads are complicated.”

“We just like keeping you on your toes is all.”

“That you do. That you freakin’ do.”

“Seriously, though, Robbie, I’ve never known you to be a quitter. Don’t quit on her when the going gets tough. You didn’t quit on me when I got pregnant and put you through hell the first five years of Xavie’s life, and look where we are now.”

Again, she isn’t wrong. I didn’t quit on her. I couldn’t.

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