Thanks for subscribing to my newsletter, following me on Twitter or just checking out my website. Below is a scene from my book “Say Yes to the Ex,” featuring Alice from my book “Say Yes to the Soccer Player.” Hope you enjoy!
Alma tucked her phone into the pocket of her shorts and sat on the bench on the other side of me, about a foot away. She angled her body to face Beth and me and said suspiciously, “You’ve been blocking all social media since last year, so how exactly do you know that Sabrina is back on campus? Did something happen?”
I felt Beth perk up on the other side of me. They both gave me their undivided attention. I took a deep breath and said as casually as I could, “We ran into each other earlier.” I paused, and when neither one said anything I added, as nonchalantly as possible, “She said she missed me.”
My statement provoked two very different responses from my friends.
“That is so romantic.”
“That is so shitty.”
It highlighted the personalities of the two women sitting with me. Beth was in love and happy, while Alma had made it very clear that long-term relationships weren’t for her.
Beth glared at Alma. “What are you talking about? Sabrina left her program and traveled thousands of miles because she missed Alice too much to be apart any longer. That is romantic behavior,” she stated unequivocally.
“Nope, that is crappy behavior,” Alma said, just as sure of her own opinion as Beth was. “Alice hasn’t heard from Sabrina in over a year—as in, total silence. Unless you were talking to her without anyone else knowing?” she asked me.
I shook my head. When Sabrina left I’d cut her out of my life, hoping that a clean break would help me heal faster. It hadn’t.
“So then she shows up, ambushes you in the middle of campus—which is a bit creepy, to be honest—and tells you that she missed you,” Alma said. She put the last two words in air quotes that made her disdain for Sabrina’s actions clear, as if the scowl on her face wasn’t enough. “What she did was assume that Alice would want her back after she took off. She left behind a broken husk of a person that we all took care of while she was gallivanting around Europe. And yes, I am so mad right now that I used the word ‘gallivanting,’” she added when Beth opened her mouth to say something.
“I think ‘broken husk of a person’ is a little strong,” I interjected, not really happy with that unflattering portrayal of me. I could admit that the past year wasn’t my best, but I felt like I handled it pretty well considering the circumstances.
“Alice, you locked yourself in your dorm room for weeks at a time, almost lost your job, and barely passed your classes. And I say this in the spirit of friendship, but for a good stretch of last year, you stank. Like ‘burn all your clothes and repaint your room’ kind of stink. I was being generous calling you a broken husk,” Alma said plainly.
“Okay, I think we can all agree that Alice was not in the best shape after the breakup with Sabrina,” Beth said in her best diplomatic voice. “But that’s all in the past because she wants to get back together. Isn’t that what you’ve wanted for the last year, Alice?” Beth asked.
That made me pause. Did I want Sabrina back?