Page 112 of Rewrite the Rules

“Better not have been Reese,” Quinn grumbles.

“I called my mom.” I sit up and lean against the brick wall that doubles as my headboard. I tuck my knees into my chest and hold out my hand. Quinn deposits the icy bottle in my palm. “She didn’t answer.”

“Oh, Addie. I’m sorry. Why’d you call her?”

I tip the bottom of my bottle to the ceiling. The carbonation irritates my throat but I continue to chug. “My mom and dad sucked as parents, but they are really good as a couple. My grandma used to tell me that they loved each other so much they ran out and didn’t have anything left over for me.”

“Which is the kid version of ‘they’re selfish assholes’.”

“Oh, yeah—absolutely, but I just wanted to know what my mom was like with my dad, you know? My grandma always told me I’m a lot like my mom. Kind of bubbly and chirpy. Obsessed with candy. Loves bad puns. I wanted to know what she was like in love. Was my dad her first love or just her last? I need to know that this feeling…” I push my fist against my chest to show Quinn where it hurts like I’m a child at a doctor’s office. “…goes away. I needed to hear it from her.”

“Oh, Addie,” Quinn says as her eyes droop. She turns her face forward so I don’t see her eyes begin to water. That’s how much my best friend loves me. She criesforme. My mom couldn’t even pick up the phone.

“I really thought because I waited so long, when I found the right guy…well, I was sure it’d be the big one. But I was stupid about this whole thing and you were right.”

“I didn’t want to be right. And you know what? I wasn’t.”

“Spare me.” My voice cracks as I slump to the side and sink into Quinn’s soft shoulder. Her petite frame and baby-soft skin is a stark contrast to Joel’s broad shoulders and muscular arms.

“No, I wasn’t. I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about this. Do you remember your freshman year when you met Sully? I was a junior at the time and thought I knew everything. You told me he was needy.”

“Sully?”

“Yeah, I’ll never forget it. I asked you what you thought of my boyfriend, and you said he was really nice but needy, like he’d benefit from the companionship of a golden retriever.”

“What?! I honestly don’t remember that.”

“Well, that makes sense—we took you to your first college party and you got so drunk off like half a beer.” Quinn laughs. “But anyways, you turned out to be spot on. Sully needed so much more than I could ever give him. And you told Noa when she first started dating Wes that you felt like he sucked up all the air around her and she didn’t have anything left. You also were the one who told Mani to check James’s phone because you just had thisfeelingthat he was cheating. Then with Reese…well you were the one who begged her to kick Petey out of her life for good.”

I throw my hands over my eyes in embarrassment. “Why were you guys friends with me as I sat there and judged all your love lives?”

“My point is maybe you had the least experience, but in some ways, you were wiser than all of us. You had an eagle eye in relationships. That’s why you waited. You trusted your gut feeling. You are so much smarter, stronger, and braver than you see, Addie. You didn’t need Tessa Rayne to write a book. You were just waiting for the story you wanted to tell. And maybe it didn’t end the way we hoped, but it’s still a story worth telling.”

I glance over the iron rails of the alcove. The glow of the laptop screen on my desk downstairs is the only illumination in my current bat cave of my apartment.

“You picked Joel for a reason. Just because some love doesn’t last, doesn’t mean it isn’t real.”

I nod solemnly.

“So, is this what you want to do tonight?”

“What?”

“Sulk under your covers. Because we can. I already called the girls. I just don’t know how we’re all going to fit in this piece-of-shit bed of yours.” Quinn bounces on the bed and the springs groan miserably.

“How long will it hurt like this?”

“How much do you love him?”

“A lot.”

Quinn nods at me and presses her lips together. “Then, a while.”Dammit.“But you don’t have to be miserable the whole time. You’ve got a book to launch. You’ve got all your friends here to help you through. Every single day will feel a little better, I promise. But if you want to set tonight aside for crying, that’s allowed.”

I take a few deep breaths and weigh my options. My tears must be radioactive because apparently, I have this new superpower where I think before I speak. It’s miraculous. Batman’s not here. It’s just me.Robin.I need to go save my own Gotham City.

“You know what? I don’t want to sulk. It’s Friday. And I want to have samosas and sangria.”

“NoSex and the City?”

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