Page 67 of Change My Mind
His finger stopped tracing. “Clo used the word nemesis.”
I smiled. “I think I overheard her call me the bane of her existence once.”
“Did you know before adding a physical component to your friendship that your teenage crush on her hadn’t gone anywhere?”
I huffed. “Yes. But crushes come and go all the time.”
“They do. But some don’t.”
“I’m not in love with her,” I said defensively. It wasn’t a lie. I wasn’t.Fallingmaybe. But I hadn’t got there.
Yet.
Jesse rolled his lips like he was trying to bite back a smile. “I never said that you were. Do you want advice, or did you just need someone to talk to?”
“Is your advice going to be something other than ‘just talkto her’ and something about feelings?” Jesse shook his head. “Then just saying it out loud is enough. Talking to her isn’t going to work.”
Another low rumble of a hum. “Okay, well, I am here if you want to talk. Or hang out. Or whatever. And I will be the one you walk in with at this party.”
“I really don’t think she is going to want me there.”
“If it’s because she didn’t tell you today was her birthday, I wouldn’t read much into it. She hasn’t actively acknowledged it since she turned eighteen. If the people in charge of this party weren’t family, then no one would know. She would want you there.”
“I made her fucking toast this morning.”
Jesse narrowed his eyes, his face bemused. “Does she hate toast?”
“No. I think she would live off toast if she didn’t like cooking. But I always make her toast in the mornings. It’s so mundane. I could have made her pancakes or something.”
“Right…”
“What?”
“You said didn’t want advice, so I’ve got nothing further to say on that. Make her pancakes tomorrow when she’s hungover. And stop pouting that she didn’t tell you. I promise it is not you.”
“I’ll come,” I said quietly.
Jesse smiled broadly and clapped one of my shoulders. The touch felt familiar and comforting. I had missed casual touches between friends. In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d experienced it.
“That’s what I like to hear. Put on some fancy-ish clothes, and then we can get going.”
I looked Jesse up and down. He was wearing a pair of running shorts and a T-shirt. He noticed me looking at him and tipped his head in the direction of the living room. It wasthen that I noticed a garment bag draped over our sofa that belonged to neither me nor Addie.
“Did you sneak that in?” I asked.
“No, you were just overthinking when you opened the door and didn’t notice I was holding it.
I shoved him playfully, both of us laughing.
Forty-Two
ADDIE
To my family’s credit, they managed to keep the whole birthday party thing surprisingly small. I mean, there were still nearly fifty people knocking about in the hotel bar they had hired out, but it could have been much worse.
And at least no one jumped out from behind a pillar and shouted ‘happy birthday’ upon my entry.
“There she is, my little macaroon! Happy birthday,” Dad said, catching me as soon as I walked in behind Lucy. He handed me the drink he was holding. I had no idea what it was, but I could taste rum.
