Page 84 of Talk to Me

“Theo’s great,” I said. “Okay? I like him a lot. And yeah, I miss him. I just…I don’t want to get my heart broken again. Not right now. And…starting something with Theo will get my heart broken. That’s all. Maybe after school is over and—”

“How are you so psychic you know it won’t work out?” Mom cut me off. “He seems like a perfectly lovely b—person.”

I grinned at her. “Thanks.”

She nodded.

“Because,” I said, wringing my hands in lap, unsure of how much I should share with my mother, “he…he cheated on his last boyfriend. It’s a big thing on Peepers—it’s been a big scandal. It’s kind of died off now, but you know. He’s a great friend, but obviously not a great boyfriend.”

“I see.”

“Everyone deserves a second chance,” I said. “But that doesn’t mean I have to be the one to give it to them.”

“Of course you don’t.”

“So,” I said, “he’s my friend. That’s the best we can do, all things considered.”

“Sure,” Mom said. “That makes sense.”

“Stop it,” I grumbled at her. “You’re being completely reasonable, and that’s not like you.”

Laughing, Mom asked, “Did Theo say he cheated on his boyfriend?”

“He—”

I stopped, suddenly unsure of how to answer that question. Mom stared at me for a moment, waiting for an answer. When none came out of my mouth, she continued.

“Who said he cheated on his boyfriend?” Mom asked.

“His ex-boyfriend,” I said slowly.

“Mmm.” Mom looked off thoughtfully. “Is this that person that accused him of cheating on you and you had to make that video your sister told me about?”

I shot her a frown.

“Evie’s always in everyone’s business.” Mom shrugged.

“Get her off Peepers for God’s sake,” I whined. “But yes.”

“Sounds like he might get his facts confused sometimes, doesn’t it?” Mom said casually. “Maybe you should have a conversation with Theo?”

With that, Mom stood from the bed, turned and leaned down to kiss me on top of the head.

“Don’t stay up too late,” she said quietly. “I’ll have breakfast ready by seven so you can get on the road early. Okay?”

“Okay,” I said.

Mom kissed the top of my head again and shuffled over to the door. She grabbed the knob and pulled it closed behind her. As she closed it, she ducked her head in at the last moment.

“Love you. Goodnight.”

“Love you. Goodnight,” I said back.

Then she shut the door and I was left with thoughts that I knew would keep me up, regardless of Mom’s request to get a decent night’s sleep.

“I don’t believe in it,” Theo was saying as we slid into the chairs at a two-top in Midway Roasters. “I think that you made that up. You spent all of Christmas break and this last week devising that factoid. You should be ashamed.”

I chuckled as I pushed my coat off onto the chair behind me. Midway Roasters was practically empty, save the baristas behind the counter. Theo and I only had American Literature on Friday mornings. Going to the coffee shop directly after class, and as next classes were starting, basically meant that most of the other students at Midway would be occupied. They weren’t in the coffee shop taking up space, leaving it all to us.