Chapter 2
My words hit like a bomb, and the whole talde went dead silent.
In all our years together, I’d never embarrassed Lenno in front of people -no matter how pissedi
They couldn’t believe it. Sweet, quiet Now just went nuclear is public,
After a beat of pure awkwardness, someone s
scrambled to smooth things over:
od off I was inside, I’d just wallow in and silk quietly.
“Whoa, hey, don’t read into it! Nina just doesn’t think before she talks! She totally didn’t me
mean anything by it! Right, Nina?”
Nina slapped her hands over her mouth, throwing up exaggerated surrender arms
“Oh my god, Noa! I’m so sorry L. I have verbal diarrhea! I just say whatever pops into my head! Please don’t take it personally
I just smiled. Said nothing
When I didn’t respond, Lennon’s face darkened as be slammed down his beer, eyes boring into me
“Now, what the hell? Everyone’s having a good time and you’re just what, trying to kill the vibe?”
“Nina’s just being herself–she’s straightforward, not all twisted up like you. Jesus, it’s one thoughtless comment. Are you seriously gonna make this a
Twisted up
So that’s how he saw me. I was the problem–oversensitive, dramatic. Meanwhile Nina’s “thoughtlessness” was just her being authentic and lovable.
My heart sank like a stone
Fine. If I’m the buzzkill might as well commit to it.
I met Lemon’s furious stare head–on and pulled out my phone, opening Nina’s Instagram.
“Last month, the 12th. You guys rehearsed until 2 AM, way past campus curfew.”
There was Nina in an oversized men’s t–shirt, smugly bugging a pillow on a charcoal gray bed.
Caption Hebe, successfully commandeered the master bedroom Poor Lennon’shanished to the guest room-
Right below it another shot of Lennon’s face, half visible on a cramped guest bed, flipping off the camera with obvious annoyance.
I didn’t stop. Kept scrollin
“Last Wednesday Band dinner.”
Nina holding a half–eaten matcha ice cream cone, one hand death gripping Lennon’s arm while practically draped over him, mouth going straight for his come to take a massive bite.
Caption: [Can’t decide what I want? This greedy pig wants both flavors! Lennon, lemme steal a bite–Try and stop me!
Finally, my finger landed hard on the newest post
Tonight, Posted just minutes ago Leon spinning her around after their Battle of the Bands win,
Caption (This moment belongs to us.]
Tlooked up at Lennon, voice dripping with an
“This is what you call “being herself?
Lennon’s jaw tightened, his voice dropping to that dangerous regimer,
Chapter 2
“Now, are you seriously gonna dig through old dit right now?
“Yeah
Got a problem with that
I held his angry stare, refusing to back down.
“Any girl with half a brain knies to keep boundaries with a guy who has a girlfriend.”
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
Nina shot up from her seat, voice shaking with indignation:
“Lennon was literally right there! I got excited and hugged him–so what? It was just a hug! Are you seriously gunna make this into some conspiracy theory? You’re actually delnional!”
“Nina’s right!”
Someone else jumped in, desperately trying to defuse the bomb
“No, she was just pumped! Hugging after a win is totally normalt There’s nothing else to
“Really?”
s with Nina, every word sharp a
and deliberate:
1locked eyes v
“Funny how when you get pumped you always seem to find your way to the guy with a girlfriend. What everyone else invisible to you?”
Lennon exploded to his feet, face twisted with rage:
“Enough! Stop being a psycho! Everyone’s trying to celebrate and you’re past. If you wanna break up, just fucking say it!”
Breakup
The whole room went dead quiet, like time itself had stopped.
