Page 5 of Don’t Be A Stranger

Correction. I’ve never let awkwardness bother me. Embarrassment is something I rarely ever feel unless it’s apparently standing like an idiot in front of my ex-girlfriend and her friends.

But I guess this is what I get for having a guilty conscience.

No one hurries to answer. In fact, Leander and his sister, Analisa, give me visible dirty looks. The other two, Pau and Victoria, pretend to be looking at something on their phones.

Savannah either doesn’t notice or she’s just pretending. “We’re just heading off campus to the mall.”

Her gentleness makes me want to tell her that I’m sorry but doing that would mean admitting that she was right. Yes, I feel guilty about the wedge between us but my pride gets the better of me.

I adjust my bag onto my other shoulder, not knowing what else to do with my hands. “That’s cool.”

I mentally facepalm at my apparent newfound inability to have a conversation, but because I’m apparently a masochist, I continue. “What are you planning on—”

Analisa isn’t having it because she quickly interrupts my question. “We have other things to do besides having this conversation right now.”

“Oh.” The sharpness of her words settles uncomfortably against my chest. “Yeah, of course.”

What else can I say?

If anything, Analisa is doing me a favor despite that not being her intention at all. Leander then tosses his arm over Savannah’s shoulders, pulling her into his side. Not in a romantic way but in a way that reminds me that he, Analisa, and Savannah have known each other for almost as long as I’ve known River and Lily.

“See you guys around?” I ask but they’re already walking away.

I hate that Savannah looks back at me. Not with anger. Or betrayal. But with concern. That’s the last thing she should be feeling toward me.

I’m the one that thought by being in a relationship with her, it would help me get rid of my feelings for someone else. I know that I shouldn’t have used Savannah in that way. I can’t even give myself the benefit of the doubt anymore.

I can’t convince myself that I wasn’t aware of what I was doing when I asked her out nine months ago. That the only reason I even did it was because I realized the older I get, the more the idea of kissing River Choi becomes that much more enticing.

I panicked. I asked Savannah out to avoid those feelings. And I stayed because it worked until it didn’t.

“Summer!” River calls out to me from across the parking lot and I realize that I’m still standing on the sidewalk like an idiot, staring at the space Savannah once filled.

I shake my head, hoping that’ll do the trick of snapping me out of whatever pity party I started to throw myself.

It doesn’t work wonders but it’ll do the trick for now.

I finally step off the curb and head over to River, who is leaning against the side of his car. The passenger door is already open, ready for me to slip into my seat.

“Was that Savannah?” River asks the second I’m within arm’s reach.

All I do is nod before ducking my head down and settling into my seat because I don’t want to have this conversation again.

But because River isn’t one to take the hint—or he just doesn’t care to—he immediately starts trying to have said conversation with me the second he gets into the driver’s seat.

“What’d she say?”

With over ten years of friendship, I would think I would’ve grown used to his weaponized cluelessness by now.

He knows what he’s doing half the time but gets away with acting stupid because he’s charming about it. But I’ve known him for far too long to play along, so instead I remain quiet with my arms crossed and gym bag kicked toward my feet.

He looks up to me after buckling himself in. “Don’t start with the silent treatment.”

And I sometimes forget that he knows me just as much as I know him.

“Then don’t play dumb,” I retort. “I had a two-second conversation with her—what could we have possibly talked about?”

River, used to the attitude, shrugs and starts the car but my answer doesn’t deter him whatsoever. “You know, one of these days you’re going to have to tell me why you two broke up.”