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‘If I help you up, you won’t mace me, will you?’
I forgot I told him that story. ‘Just let me drown in peace,’ I moan. Obviously, I’m kidding, but do you know what he doesn’t do? Leave. Instead, he gets down onto the wet ground next to me and lies on his back, allowing the rain to fall onto him the same way it is me. I look over at him, lying there with his hands on his chest, staring at the sky.
‘This is the opposite of letting me drown in peace.’
‘I just ran seven miles and could use a rest and a cool down. Plus, there are a lot of weirdos downtown at this time of night. I wouldn’t feel right leaving you here alone. If ya made the news in a bad way later, I’d have to live with that shit forever. Can’t have that on my conscience.’
‘You are such a gentleman.’
‘I have my moments,’ he says, glancing over at me with a wink. ‘Wanna tell me what could be so bad you want to drown the hard way?’
‘Oh, it’s nothing much, just that men suck.’
He laughs. ‘All men, or just one in particular?’
I roll my head his way. ‘Conner rushed out this morning and hardly even said goodbye, and now he’s out partying with his douchey friend who totally insulted me earlier without ever having even met me. It’s been less than twenty-four hours since he left, and things are going downhill quickly.’
‘How’d he insult you if you’ve never met?’
‘Via telephone. He was such an ass, and now I’m a little worried Conner was on his best behavior while here, and his Boston bestie, Masterblake, is a true view into his real personality.’
‘Masterblake?’ River repeats with a chuckle. ‘That’s something I would say.’ He holds a hand my way to celebrate my dirty nickname, and because I’m proud of it, I high five him. ‘Let me get this straight; Conner couldn’t wait to get back to Boston to his friend Blake and that made you feel like the third wheel?’
‘Pretty much.’
‘I don’t know if you know this, but I’m the king of third-wheeling things. Everyone I know is coupled up.’
‘But Conner is partnered with me, and he didn’t even say he loved me before he hung up tonight, then after calling him multiple times, he sent back a text with emojis.’
The streetlight above us is illuminating River, and I’m only just noticing the hint of freckles that dot the bridge of his nose. He’s not hard to look at, that’s for sure. Very male model-ish with bright blue eyes, the color of the tropical oceans I dream of, a strong jaw, and eyelashes women pay money to achieve.
‘Emojis huh? I suppose that’ll buy him some time.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean, if I’m sending someone emojis, I don’t want to talk. A smiling pile of shit will shut people up pretty quickly. Am I in a shit mood? Or am I sitting on the throne in misery? No one wants to ask.’
‘That’s an image,’ I say, trying not to picture it but laughing at his thought process.
‘Truth be told, you don’t really know Conner that well, do you? What’s it been, three weeks?’
I sigh. ‘Two months.’
‘Shit, you’ve known me longer. Maybe we should get married?’ River jokes then looks somewhat frazzled by his own statement.
He’s right, though. I have known him longer. He and Mercy started coming in about six months ago. His question flashes through my head like a news headline in all caps. Breaking News. Does Jade really know the man she’s engaged to? She’s agreed to spending eternity with him so, she probably should.
‘I’m kidding,’ he says, obviously concerned about my silence. ‘In all seriousness, why did you say yes after only two months?’
‘I love him,’ I say meekly.
River raises a single eyebrow as if my answer doesn’t convince him. ‘So, you’re super serious about a guy who proposed without a ring, hasn’t made that a priority, your family hates him, and he’s currently texting in emojis? I’d say even without words, he’s saying a lot.’
‘How do you know my family hates him?’ I ask suddenly, not remembering telling anyone that part because it’s humiliating that my family isn’t on board with my recent engagement.
He blinks, looking back up at the sky. ‘I, uh, I’m pretty sure you mentioned it once.’
Did I? I guess it’s possible. Sometimes I talk more than even I remember.
