“Then she’s an idiot.” Amanda said it like it was the most obvious conclusion.
Mallory moved her arm so she could look me right in the eye. “Or more likely, she thought she was helping. Still, she was wrong.”
“I can’t be with him anymore. I can’t be with someone when our whole friendship was fake.”
“What can we do?” Jana asked.
“Nothing. I just needed to get it out.”
“Do you want a night out or a night in?” Amanda tied her hair up in a bun.
“In. Definitely a night in.”
“Okay. Mallory, go back with Juliet to get your stuff. I’ll call everyone.” Amanda really knew how to take charge.
I shook my head. “But it’s Friday night.”
“And you need a girls’ night.” Amanda smiled.
If someone had told me back in August that my sorority sisters, especially Amanda, would ever help me through something like that, I would have laughed. But they did.
We spent the night watching romantic comedies. I went through a box of tissues, but it felt good to cry. I also ate enough junk food to last a lifetime—but it was great. I was going to be okay. I knew that. If Reed had taught me anything, it was that I could be on my own. But the truth was that I wasn’t on my own. Somehow, through all the guy drama that year, I’d managed to make some amazing friends.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The first email from Amy came Friday night.
From: [email protected]
Subject: Checking in
Juliet,
Are you okay? I heard.
I didn’t write back. She tried again on Sunday.
From: [email protected]
Subject: Worried
Juliet,
Please answer me. Reed told me what happened. I’m sorry. I was just trying to help.
It was the third email that made me respond.
From: [email protected]
Subject: PLEASE ANSWER
If I don’t hear from you soon, I’m going to tell your parents or come home myself. I’m worried.
I knew she wouldn’t actually come back, but getting my parents involved was the last thing I needed. I still hadn’t told them Reed and I had broken up.
From: [email protected]
Subject: Fine
Amy,
I’m fine. I just have nothing to say to you.
Juliet
I felt a little icky about doing it, considering how far away she was, but I wasn’t going to pretend nothing had happened. She’d violated my trust.
I needed to find a new job. Working with Reed wasn’t an option. Because of that, I had to face him on Monday. I’d spent the weekend holed up at the Delta Mu house. If Reed had come looking for me, I didn’t know it. He did, however, leave more than a dozen messages on my phone. I was holding up surprisingly well, but I missed him already. I took a deep breath before walking in to Al’s right at four-thirty.
“Juliet.” Reed looked up. A hopeful look crossed his face, and I hated knowing I was about to dash it, even though he completely deserved it. “Did you get my messages? I called all weekend.”
“I got them. I wasn’t ready to talk.”
“But you are now?” He pulled out my usual stool for me.
“I just came by to thank you for the job, but I’m not going to be working here anymore.”
“Don’t quit. Please don’t quit.” It looked like he hadn’t slept in days. I hadn’t either.
“I have to.”
“No, you don’t. We’re going through a rough patch, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work together,” he said in a desperate voice. It hurt to hear him that way, but I had to hold my ground.
“A rough patch? Is that what you call it?”
“Yes. This isn’t the end. I’m positive.”
“How can you be so sure?”
His eyes were so full of emotion. “You came here in person to quit.”
“Maybe I just wanted to be professional.”
“No. You wanted to see me. You can take all the time you need. When you’re ready, I promise I’ll still be here. I’m not giving up on us.”
I felt the tears welling and knew it was time to leave. “Bye, Reed.”
“See you soon, Juliet.” He sounded calm, but his face was everything but. By the way his hands grabbed the counter, I knew he was trying hard to avoid reaching out to me.
I walked out wanting more than anything to look back.
***
I got a job at a little bar and grill really easily. It was another local hang out, and one of the girls in my sorority worked there a few nights a week. The assistant manager said that anyone who could handle the late night crowds at Al’s was experienced enough for him. I filled out my paperwork, glad I’d only had to apply to one place. I knew this job would be more work than my last one, and that I wouldn’t get paid to do homework, but it would serve its purpose.
Because life had a sense of humor, I had Friday night off. It also happened to be Valentine’s Day. I was getting ready to head out for a girls’ night with Mallory when I noticed how depressed Tally looked. She was curled up on her bed in pajamas.
“Do you have plans?” I knew she’d probably bite my head off, but I couldn’t just leave her there.
“What do you think?” she snapped.
“Mallory and I are going to this singles’ night thing at a fondue place. Do you want to come?”
“Fondue?”
“Yeah, you in?” I expected her to say no.
“Why not? Can you give me five minutes to get ready?”
“Sure, I’ll tell Mallory.”
Fifteen minutes later, I slipped into a cab with Tally and Mallory. I tried not to think about the Valentine’s Day I was supposed to be having. Reed had gotten us reservations at the Charleston Place Hotel for dinner. He’d also reserved us a room. I hoped he wasn’t using them on someone else.
“Juliet, you okay?” Mal looked at me.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“It’s okay to miss him.” She put a hand on my arm.
“Let’s not talk about him.”