Page 65 of Tell Me I'm Enough

She lets out a scoff. “You’re my best friend, Simone, not my therapist. I’m okay. I promise.”

I never want her to feel like I’m trying to fix her. I just want her to know I have always and will always be here for her to lean on and come to. “I just care, Lydia. I’ve been here for all the highs and lows, and I’ll continue to be, but if something is wrong, I want you to be able to tell me.”

“Yeah, I know. And I will. You don’t need to worry about me, Simone. I’m good.”

All I can do is take her word…and trust that she’s okay. I can’t force her to come to me…I can only be there if and when she needs me.

* * *

The library has been turned into a studying palooza—tables moved around, study groups formed together, and lo-fi music playing through speakers, setting the mood perfectly.

I’m sitting cross-legged on the floor with Lani, two Gamma girls, and a couple of other people who have the same economics class as us.

Flashcards, notebooks, and half-eaten food wrappers cover the table beside us.

Everyone is in this weirdly enjoyable mix of panic and productivity, preparing for midterms.

“Okay, one more,” I say, holding up a flashcard. “What’s the law of diminishing marginal utility?”

Lani groans, dropping her head onto her notebook. “The law of what now?”

“Come on now,” I encourage. “You know this.”

“I donotknow whatever language you’re speaking. I am so doomed.”

We all laugh, and then I try to find the best way to help her remember the answer.

After wrapping up some more studying, Lani stands up.

“Okay, my brain is shutting off,” she tells me as she grabs her bag and looks at the time on her phone. “I’m gonna go meet up with Lydia. You sure you don’t wanna ditch all this and come too?”

I shake my head. “I wish I could, but I really need to make sure I keep my grades high if I want a chance of getting into law school.”

Lani lets out a playful groan. “Ugh, such an overachiever. I wanna be you when I grow up.”

I laugh at her and stand up to hug her before she leaves. “Keep an eye on her, okay?”

Lani nods. “I will, promise.”

An hour later, I’m sitting up on the table, one leg hanging off, one propped up for me to lean on as I’m deep in flashcard mode, writing everything down from my textbooks, when I hear a familiar laugh. I turn my head to see Mason walking in with a couple of guys from the football team, all still in their sweatsuits from after practice. His backpack is slung over one arm with a cup of coffee in one hand and his phone in the other.

He tucks his phone away as he goes to dap up a couple of guys on the way in, and then somehow finds me in the crowd of people, directing the guys he’s with to follow him as he makes a beeline over to me.

“What’s up, Edwards?” he says, bumping my propped-up leg, making me lose my balance a little.

I swat at him with my notebook. “No distractions allowed.”

He smirks down at me. “So I distract you?”

“Distract, annoy…same thing,” I tease.

“Mhmm,” he says, smirking at me as he leans down to give me a side hug.

The smell of his fresh coffee invades all my senses, and the instant craving it gives me makes me moan out loud as I hug him back.

Yes…I actually moaned over the smell of caffeine.

Horrified, my eyes snap to his, and he’s already laughing.