Page 106 of Tell Me When It's Over

She nods once.

“Are you and Dylan going to be okay?” I ask, genuinely worried. They seem so happy together. I like him. He’s funny and charming and sweet to Mia. He makes her smile, which makes me smile because she deserves to find someone who loves her as much as she loves him. When she told me after their first date, which seems like an eternity ago, that she was going to marry him someday, I believed it.

I still do.

Her arms tighten around me, making me gasp for air as she laughs. “I love you, Leighton. You’re always so worried about other people.”

“Because I care,” I rasp out, sucking in a breath when she releases me to take the seat beside me.

“I know you do.” Her smile grows. “And Dylan and I are going to be fine. We’ve already talked this morning. This won’t break us. We’ve made our bed and we’ll lay in it.”

“That’s it?”

She shrugs. “What else can we do?”

“You’re not going to go after Hannah or Beckham?” I blurt, making Kyler laugh from where he turns off the burner and grabs a bowl from the drainer.

Mia huffs. “Why would I do that?”

Again, Kyler snorts in amusement. “You once said you were going to scratch out the woman’s eyes who messed up your nails during a manicure.”

“They were crooked!” she exclaims in exasperation, throwing her hands up. “I paid a lot of money for them to be perfect. They were for the Oscar’s! How could I go to a prestigious award show with crooked nails?”

The warm brown eyes I’m accustomed to seeing everyday roll as he walks over with a bowl full of cheesy noodles. “Next you’re going to threaten to break the legs of whoever messes up your hair during your next stylist visit.”

Scoffing and crossing her arms over her chest, Mia says, “Now you’re just being ridiculous.”

When Ky looks at me, his brows are drawn up as if to say, I’m the one being ridiculous? The giggle escapes me before I can try holding it in, causing Mia to scowl at the two of us.

“You both suck,” she states, pushing off the stool and walking toward the door. “I hope your stupid macaroni and cheese is burnt and the brand goes out of business.”

Kyler’s laugh is loud and abrupt. “It wouldn’t upset me any,” he calls after her as she raises her middle finger in the air.

I frown. “Hey,” I grumble.

He rolls his eyes. “They’re like a multi-billion-dollar company. I doubt they’re going anywhere in our lifetime.” Pushing the bowl to me, he shoves a fork into the noodles. “You know I love you, right? No matter what?”

I blink at the random question, and when I see the distant but saturated look darkening his eyes, I frown. “Of course, I do.”

We’ve promised each other that we’ll always be friends, no matter what happens. That we’d love each other. I always keep my promises, and I know he does too. I bank on it, something I’ve never been able to do with Mom or anyone else.

But when he nods, I can’t help but wonder what it is he doesn’t want me finding out about. There’s nothing that could make me feel any differently for the boy who I consider my closest friend—the only true one I hope to have for life.

After two of my favorite people wake me up with their loud rendition of “happy birthday”, they yank the blankets off my bed and shake me until I’m laughing at their theatrics. Ky is grinning at the end of the bed while Mia tickles me under my arms relentlessly.

“We made breakfast,” she announces, tugging on my arm.

“And by we,” Kyler cuts in, “she means Beth. We burnt the pancakes. And the bacon.”

Mia mutters, “The eggs were rubbery too.”

Giggling, I swat Mia’s hands away and sit up on my elbows. “You guys didn’t learn the first time you tried cooking breakfast?”

After our birthday cake tradition, they thought they’d be ready for birthday meals. Specifically, breakfast. My favorite meal of the day. Beth even tried showing them how to cook certain things, and there’s been a ten percent success rate over the years. I always smile and eat it because it’s the thought that counts. Plus, they’re better than Mom, and I manage to eat what she gives me without too much fuss.

The frown on both of their faces makes me laugh again as I swing my legs over the bed and follow them downstairs. I’m not surprised when I see that it’s only us, neither of our parents anywhere to be seen. They know what tradition Mia, Ky, and I have, and rarely intervene when birthdays are involved. Mom sometimes leaves me a note wishing me a good day, Harry will sign a generic card with way too much money inside and put it where I can find it, but that’s the extent of their involvement.

This is the longest relationship Mom’s been in, and I think the biggest reason is because Harry always parades her around. She loves attention and used to get fed up or bored if one of her old boyfriends didn’t give her enough of it. While it always bothered me, I’m glad this lifestyle is one that seems perfect for her, because it means we’ll stay longer.

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