Page 32 of Mic Drop

I love you with my whole heart. I cannot wait to be your wife.

What we have is forever. I let this truth sink into my soul. Yes. We’re the forever I’ve never had.

Right back at you.

I take another sip of my Manhattan, calming as it slides down my throat. I need to figure out how much time I can spend in Aroostook, especially with her mother’s condition. The ping of another text interrupts my planning.

LUKE

Of course, although they’re busy with the whole new Lissa interview. Have you seen it? Any ideas about how to combat what she said?

I didn’t see it. Jenna told me about it, though.

Here, I’ll send youthe link.

Once it arrives, I watch Lissa spew even more lies. Fuck. What on earth did I ever see in her? Although now she’s much more plastic than in high school. She always was concerned with her appearance, making sure to have the latest haircuts and doing her makeup to align with the latest trend.

She was smart enough not to put out that we actually went to the prom together. Saying we did something private means there were no photos. Damnit.

What if she gets her high school friends to corroborate her lies? I was such a loner back then, the only friend I had was Curtiss. The double-timer who stole Lissa from me to go to the senior prom. Love how she didn’t mention thatfactin her interview.

There must be a way to refute her story. Five minutes later I’m still stewing when I get another text from Luke.

A Curtiss Fanone reached out to me via socials. I was about to set him loose but he said he can refute what Lissa’s saying. Do you know this guy? How do you want me to respond?

I unclick the seatbelt and walk to the other side of the aircraft. What should I do? I itch to reach out to Jenna, but she has enough to deal with. Curtiss told Luke he knows Lissa’s lying? Should I trust him? It’s not like I have more options. Or any.

Did he give you his number?

A second later, Luke texts it to me. I stare at the digits for a long while, debating what I should do next. Aside from my mother, he’s the only other person I can think of who knew the truth back then. Mom’s never going to help me. Can I trust he will? Probably not, but who knows?

On an inhale, I sit and FaceTime the number. Might as well get the visual as well as the voice. Curtiss picks up, squinting into the camera. “Hello? Bennett, is that you?”

His voice is deeper than I remember, but he was only eighteen the last time we spoke. He’s lost most of his previously full, blond head of hair. From what the camera picks up, he’s no longer the same fit guy he was back in high school, either. He now wears the glasses I ditched to become a rock star.

“Hey. Yes, it’s me. Heard you wanted to talk?”

“Damn. You’ve aged well. I’ve seen your videos and concert clips, of course, but you look a bit different from high school.”

No use lying. “So do you.”

He lets out a nervous laugh. “Yeah, well, I left tennis behind years ago.” He rubs his balding head. “Together with most of my hair.”

How should I respond to this? I decide to get him to talk about Lissa. “So, my manager told me you wanted to discuss Lissa.” Can’t help it. Her name comes out like a curse.

He changes the camera angle. “Listen, I’ve been seeing her everywhere talking about how you two were high school sweethearts. Which isn’t a lie.”

One point for her. “That’s the only truth she’s been spewing.”

“Agreed.”

I sit up. Is there any way this man I don’t recognize could help me out? After what he did back in high school, his track record sucks. Still, he owes me one. Or twenty. “I’m listening.”

Curtiss moves around again. “I know she didn’t go to the junior prom with you because she went with me to the senior prom, and not due to her self-described money issues.”

Gotta give him props. At least he didn’t walk away from the truth. “Yes. You asked her out, knowing we were a couple.” I can’t keep my animus from years ago at bay. “Some best friend you turned out to be.”

“I know it was a shitty thing for me to do. She was your girl, but I was the king of the tennis team back then and wanted a beautiful lady on my arm. Lissa was the prettiest one I knew. Even though she was yours, I couldn’t help myself. I figured, if she agreed to go with me, you two weren’t meant to be.”

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