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Emilie nodded, blinking back the annoying moisture gathering in her eyes. “It was the hardest time in my life. Mom needed more of my time. We had good days and bad days, but by senior year, things spiraled. You, Finn, and Dean were the only bright spots that kept me going.”
Ava lifted her head, her eyes glistening with tears. “I should’ve kept my mouth shut and found out the truth from you. Anything but what I did. And I stole Finn from you.”
Emilie ignored Ava. She needed to get everything out in one blow. “The night everything happened, my mom thought someone was chasing her. She stabbed herself with a knife and fell out the window. The city claimed it was a suicide, and frankly, that was a safer explanation.”
Ava bit her lip as a tear rolled down her face. “I’m really sorry. I wish you would’ve let me in more. I would’ve never said anything if I’d known.”
Her response was unexpected, but Emilie was numb to any pain. “It’s hard not having her by my side, but I’m relieved she’s now at peace.”
Ava covered her face with one hand and sniffled. “I don’t know what to say. I don’t deserve... a second chance. I lost myself that year, and I’ve been fighting to find the real me ever since.”
Emilie looked at her nails, giving Ava a chance to wipe her face with a tissue. “To be honest, it hurt when I found out you were the one spreading rumors about my mom, but I should’ve told you the truth a long time ago. It could’ve made a difference.”
Ava reached across the table and laid a wet hand on Emilie’s. “I’m really sorry about everything.” She sniffed again and dabbed at her face with a napkin. “I would love for us to be friends again.”
They’d had fun times together and many sleepovers. She really did miss that person, and the black mascara streaks coming down Ava’s face were evidence of her sincerity. Emilie could fix their friendship. Then it wouldn’t just be Dean she could rely on, but the scars were too tender right then. Slowly, so it wouldn’t hurt Ava’s feelings, she moved her hand back into her lap. “We can try.”
Ava lifted her face and wiped at her smudged makeup. “Really?” She straightened in her chair and grabbed for another napkin.
Emilie forced a smile. “I think as long as we’re honest and respectful of each other’s feelings, we can give it a whirl.”
Ava nodded. “I’m good with that.”
Emilie was grateful when Ava started eating again, and they sat in a more comfortable silence. The difference between now and a few minutes before was remarkable. The weight that had rested on her shoulders for years disappeared, and Emilie felt hope that she could finally move past high school.
After a few minutes of stabbing at her salad, Ava put her fork down. “So tell me about Boston? Why did you come back here of all places?”
Emilie attacked the bread bowl with her hands, ripped off a large chunk, and stuffed it in her mouth. Being friends with someone didn’t mean you opened up to them all at once. “I heard Mrs. Linda was selling her studio and no one was interested. I didn’t want it to stay empty.”
Ava’s brows raised. “But I heard you danced with an amazing dance company? Weren’t you a rising star?”
Maybe before she lost her focus, another thing she’d never tell Ava. “Just needed a break. It’s a busy life, traveling all the time. And I couldn’t stand being away from Dean.” Emilie blurted out the last part. She couldn’t believe she’d brought him up, but there was a new lie to protect.
Something flashed through Ava’s eyes before she picked up her fork, her movements calculated. “I heard about you two. When did that happen? You never had a thing for him in the past.”
Her mind raced as she searched for an answer. A half-truth. “When I came back to sign the papers on the house, we reconnected.”
The fork in Ava’s hand twitched. “So you started dating then?”
Another half-truth. “No, we just started talking. We hadn’t been that close since high school, but after seeing each other, it’s like things went back to the way they were before I moved.”
Ava tossed her hair to the side. “I’ve lost touch with a lot of people from high school. I had big plans to get out of this city and do something with my life, but then Mom kicked me out. Dad wouldn’t even send me money. I started my job at the restaurant and made things work.”
Emilie gave her a genuine look of sympathy. Ava’s dad had left when she was a baby. She hadn’t thought about how Ava would deal with leaving home without any help. “That must’ve been tough. I’m glad you have Finn.”
Ava took a sip of her soda. “Thank goodness for that man. It was kind of weird living in my boyfriend’s pool house at first, but he’s so generous. Even when we were on a break, he never kicked me out. That’s probably why it was so easy to get back together again.”
Emilie glanced at Ava’s left hand as she forked her salad. Her ring was huge, with three sparkly diamonds in the middle and a row of tiny diamonds around the band. That would’ve been Emilie’s ring if Finn hadn’t turned his back on her. Emilie closed her eyes, only to open them in a hurry when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
She spun around to see Dean behind her, a wide smile on his face.
“Dean! What—”
He leaned over and pressed his mouth to hers, effectively shutting her up.
12
Dean
