“I wasn’t mad,” Delcan said. “I just felt like slapping her for reasons that are obvious. She deserved it, anyway.” Both of us ignored him and Evvie was about to start talking again before footsteps were coming down the hall. Haven and Angelica’s voices were in the hallways, and I closed my mouth. Evvie put her phone under her leg just as I heard the front door open.
There were footsteps in the room, and I could only assume it was Haven. There was silence for a few seconds before Haven began to talk. “I can’t believe I gave myself to Ezra,” she said. I looked down at the bedsheets, trying not to remember that night.
“You didn’t know,” Evvie said in defense. “Plus, you can’t blame him. You and I both know who his parents are.”
I had a feeling my ex rolled her eyes. “He could’ve told me,” she said. “And to make matters worse, he’s with Delcan.”
Not exactly with him.
“They’re not boyfriends,” said Evvie. “Ezra told you that. And I think it’s kinda cute.”
“How is any of that cute?” Haven’s voice came out sharp, and she took a deep breath. “I’m not homophobic, I’m just angry. But seriously, Delcan Heslop, of all people out there?” She said his last name the same way Angelica had, and I wondered if it was on purpose.
Delcan’s shoulder moved away from mine as he made himself comfortable on my bed. I moved my eyes away from him (with effort), and listened to their conversation. “What does Delcan have that I don’t?” Haven asked.
I saw Delcan smile out of the corner of my eye, and I looked at him. “Stop it,” I mouthed. His smile grew, and he bit his lip before looking down at his phone. 781Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHbkLLebnI
On the other end, I heard Evvie begin laughing. Haven must’ve pouted. “Personality-wise,” she said.
Delcan began silently laughing.
“Well, if we are talking about his body,” Evvie said. My gosh. “He is beautiful. One of the most beautiful guys I’ve ever met.”
Evvie wasn’t wrong. Haven sighed. “Like that matters to me,” she said. “Ezra has a thing for beautiful, broken guys. I wouldn’t see Delcan’s handsomeness to be an exception. I’m so dumb for never noticing that.”
“She’s not wrong,” Delcan mouthed. I turned myself away from him, because if I responded he’d use it to my advantage.
“Don’t you remember him slapping you and telling you to back off of Ezra?” she asked. I looked over to Delcan, who had stopped laughing and then handed him my phone. He took it with confusion in his eyes as I searched for a piece of paper. I pulled out a blank sheet from the desk and then decided to begin writing. 781Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaRYNDqLOD
What happened after I left?781Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOD484zZI7W
I handed the paper to Delcan and he read it before looking at the pen. He began to write back in response while I listened to what Evvie and Haven were talking about.
Though I wish I hadn’t.
“You act like nobody knows, Evvie,” Haven said. She was mocking my best friend now. Why did I pretend to love her in the first place?
Evvie stopped. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said. I could tell there was panic in her voice, and her thumb began moving around the end button.
“You think that story about your dad getting a new job is believable?” Haven asked. She had no right to enter in somebody else’s life, and I didn’t like that she was. It was cruel, and one of the most horrible things a person could do.
“That’s not good enough for you?”781Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvHnvt85jd
Haven stopped. “I noticed a glow with you at the end of the year, Evvie Hamill.”
What did that even mean? My first guess was like the makeup that Evelyn would sometimes use. I think it’s called highlighter or something. She told me that if I ever touched her highlighter, though, she’d kill me. When I asked her why, she simply put it in this bag before turning around to me and saying, “Makeup is expensive.”
Evvie had hung up the phone when I was trying to think about what those words had meant. What does that even mean?
And why hadn’t she told me?
ns 15.158.61.5da2
