Page 3 of Moonflower

“Worry too much?” Wilder snaps. “Cora! This is your wellbeing we’re talking about. We’re your best friends. What’s going to happen if he breaks up with you out of the blue? You’re going to be all alone, and then you’ll start avoiding us again, and then you’ll—”

“Wild, she has other people she can rely on,” Ezra says.

“But we’re her best friends.” Wilder glares at me through the phone. “We’re the ones who should take care of you.”

I sigh. That right there is why I know I can never have both of them. Wilder is too possessive. There’s no way he’d be willing to share me with Ezra—if he even wants me. And there’s no way I can date Ezra without being with Wilder. It would hurt too much.

“What are you even suggesting?” I ask.

“Break up with him.”

“What?!”

“You’re fucking miserable, Cora. You think you’re hiding it well. But you forget how well we know you.”

Ezra nods, humming in agreement.

“I . . .”

Shit. They’re right. I know they’re right. I got together with Matt to get my mind off these two. When we started dating, we both liked each other, but at this point we’re no good together. That’s the thing, though. I’d rather be miserable and distracted than miserable with nothing to keep my thoughts occupied.

I’m not sure why Matt has stuck around. Maybe because I’m his ticket to cheap rent? Because he doesn’t have to clean up after himself? It’s definitely not the sex—we haven’t had any in a month.

Ezra must sense my mood souring, because he switches the subject. “You excited for Halloween, Moonflower?”

Fuck. We always spend Halloween together. The past couple years, I haven’t been able to come home because I’ve had classes the morning after. This year, Halloween is on a Friday. But I wasn’t planning on coming home. I can’t be around them. Not without my mind spiraling out of control.

“Um . . . yeah.”

There’s a slight pause. Ezra’s smile fades. “You’re coming home, right?”

Silence. My heart practically rips in two as I take in Ezra’s broken expression.

Wilder jumps straight to anger. “You promised us you’d come back.”

“I’m just . . . really overwhelmed. With school.”

Ezra shoves Wilder, and his expression softens. His jaw is still clenched tightly, though.

“Imani and DeAndre are throwing a Halloween party at their house,” I say. “I’m going to that with the girls. I just don’t think I can manage the drive home. It’s a lot of time, and I’m behind on homework, and I—”

“Don’t,” Wilder says. “You don’t have to explain yourself. I get it. Sorry I snapped.”

“Is there anything we can do to help you, Moonflower?” Ezra asks.

I shake my head. “No. But thank you.”

The sound of the front door opening and closing drifts into my bedroom. Matt must be home.

“I should go,” I say.

“Got it. Love you, Cora,” Ezra says.

“A lot,” Wilder adds.

“Love you guys too,” I reply quietly enough Matt won’t hear.

I hate hanging up on them, but I do it anyway. If Matt catches me talking to them, he’ll go on a rant about how I care more about them than I care about him. Which is true, but it’s ironic considering he doesn’t prioritize me.

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