Page 43 of A Curvy Girl’s Hurricane Survival Guide

Cai gives me a slight nod. My eyes skim up to the text she sent him.

Cai

I’m with my family in Miami waiting out the storm. I just wanted to take the chance to thank you! Who knows what or who I would’ve missed out on if you hadn’t been such a dick. If Hurricane Olive hadn’t shifted, if I had chased you. If you ever grow up and read these, I hope you’re happy and safe and out of the apartment by next month.

I like that she feels she would’ve “missed out” on me, but this is a far cry from a girl over her boyfriend or even ready to move on.

I hand her phone back to her. “So what do you think?” She looks at me, frowning.

“You did more than text him ‘thank you,’” I say, holding back on saying any more.

“Yeah, I know,” she says, looking embarrassed. “I guess I wanted to sound like I was totally fine without him. I thought it would make him feel shitty or something.”

I lean forward and grab her hand, look her in the eyes, and ask her earnestly, “Do you still want to be with him?”

“No! No way, no!”

“Ok then, why didn’t you just text him, ‘bye’, or ‘it’s over’? Or block him back? Why are you stressing over what to reply to this ass? Why are you wasting any energy on him?”

I rubbed the back of my head in frustration. Why can’t she see how amazing she is?

“Well, I don’t have a signal anyway…” Her tone is as flimsy as her argument. I give her a look. “And I want him to tell me why. I want to understand why he left and lied and cheated. Why wasn’t I enough?”

I stepped back. “I thought you were over him. I’m sorry I didn’t understand you were still carrying a torch for him.” I know my words sound bitter, but I can’t keep the hurt out of them.

“I am over him! I don’t want to be with him.”

“If that were true, then the answer to those questions wouldn’t matter.”

“That’s not fair. Am I not supposed to ask questions without being accused of still wanting him? Besides, why would it matter if I did it already or not? Why rush the ending? You made it very clear that some men aren’t looking for the long term, so I’m not going to rush into anything; I’m going to get what I can from this failure. It’s not like I have anything better waiting for me.”

Abuela has left the kitchen by now, and Cai is openly looking pissed. She has completely misconstrued what I meant last night. I had meant that men like Trevor didn’t want long-term, not that I don’t. Regardless of what we could be, she should be leaving him because he is a terrible person, not because she has something better lined up.

“That’s not… look, you do what you want with him. I think you deserve better, but who am I? I’m just a guy who spends his time playing video games and neglected to tell you that. I know, the biggest fault in the world, and I didn’t disclose it because I wanted so badly to avoid you looking at me like I was that piece of shit boyfriend you’re determined to chase to your own detriment.”

Her eyes go wide; shock, anger, and hurt all flash across her face. She opens her mouth to say something, but then closes it as Rey comes into the kitchen in his typical high spirits.

“Good morning!” he says. “What’s the over/under on the power coming back this morning?”

Neither of us answers. Cai says, “I’m going to go change,” and leaves the kitchen.

Rey looks at me, confused. “Rough morning?” he asks me.

I throw my head back in a sigh. I had been a dick. I had expected her to move on and have feelings for me as strong as the ones I have for her. “It’s my fault. I was in rare form this morning, and I took it out on her.”

“I doubt that,” Rey says, but he doesn’t push any further. “Looks like the rain has stopped. After I make myself some coffee, want to go walk the neighborhood with me? See what the damage is?”

“Yeah, sounds great,” I say. A chance to clear my head and look at potential wreckage not caused by me sounds perfect.

CAI

I get to my room, close the door behind me, and lean against it like it would block out Sonny’s words.

No, I need to hear them and what he hadn’t said as well. He didn’t say that he wanted to be with me or that I should leave Trevor to be with him.

He told me he was a gamer, and he lied. Now, granted, I am probably harsher on gamers than I should be, but given my current boyfriend and the scenario with this girl, I am justified. Still, Sonny hadn’t said how he would be different in that scenario.

Sonny is also pressuring me to put a finality on a relationship I have been in for over a year. He doesn’t know how long I have worked on it. I’m not looking to stay with Trevor, but does that mean I should have to end it on Sonny’s terms? Without asking questions or getting any explanations? Just cold turkey, cut him out? I am owed some answers!