Not Even Close (A New Generation) by Elizabeth Reyes (books to read in a lifetime txt) 📗

her throat nervously. “Not sure ifyou’re still hanging with Byron but if you are, I was just wondering if maybe youcould ask him if I left an earring at his place. I spent the night at his placethe night before I saw you there with him. It’s expensive and not even mine.I’ve tried to reach out but . . .”

Vannah wasn’t even paying attention anymore. Byron had slept withthis girl the night before he took Vannah back to his house, after havingdinner with her parents? That text he’d sent about having plans with someone elsehad been true. He’d slept with this girl after the week they’d had when he saidhe’d never connected so quickly to any other girl.

“. . . teardrop shape. I didn’t even realize I lost it until dayslater. I can’t afford to replace it and would’ve just stopped by the shop, but uh,Byron said something about a restraining order, and I can’t risk that.”

Not wanting to look at this girl for even another second and riskenvisioning her wrapped around Byron, Vannah refrained from shuddering before nodding.“I’ll ask him.”

Irma nodded and turned to Xochitl with a weak smile beforeturning back to Vannah. “Thank you.”

The moment she was far enough away Xochitl reached her handacross the table and touched Vannah’s. “I don’t buy for a second that shedidn’t know you’re still with him, and this wasn’t just her way of retaliatingthe fact that she’d been rejected that night because of you. You said she waspissed when she saw you, right? Earring my ass—”

“We did find an earring that day.” Vannah had left thatpart out when she’d told Xochitl about the incident because she’d felt toopathetic having let him off the hook so easily. Her friend started to saysomething about it possibly being a coincidence. “It was a teardrop shape, andit was in his bed, Soch. We found it because he’d wanted to change the sheets beforewe laid down in it.” Vannah thought about how nervous he’d seemed that day. “He’dprobably been nervous about what else I might notice or find in those sheets.”

The very thought nauseated Vannah now, as she felt her eyes floodsuddenly. Irma was the date he’d texted her about and then sent her packingwhen she showed up because his plans had suddenly changed. No wonder the girl hadbeen so mad that night.

“Okay, okay” Xochitl tapped Vannah’s hand. “Let’s say she didspend the night with him that night. Technically you two weren’t even exclusivethen, remember? And, and, and that would be the night he thoughthe’d seen you making out with someone else.” Xochitl tilted her head raisingher brows at Vannah. “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” Herbrows furrowed as if to think about that, then shook her head. “Anyway, for allhe knew at the time he wasn’t doing anything worse that what he thought you’dpossibly done. In any case, if it bothers you that much, do what your motheralways tells you too. Talk to him. Talk it out.”

Done discussing this and wanting nothing more but to hear hisvoice now, Vannah got her things and they both started out. Xochitl had a point.This was something that happened long before things were official between themand he’d been upfront and honest about his busy past. She’d even gottenplenty of proof about it those first few weeks. She wasn’t sure why this feltlike such a slap in the face. But like when she’d first gotten that awful textfrom him back then, it was making her emotional now. Why did she even care? Everythingwas so different now. So perfect and she believed him with all her heart whenhe said he loved her. She just needed to hear him say it again.

“I thought you were going to the lab to turn in your paper?”Xochitl said when they passed it, and Vannah kept walking with her in thedirection of the parking lot.

“I need to go pick up my charger from our dorm before headinghome to my parents,” Vannah explained pulling her phone out and turning it on.“I left my spare at Byron’s.”

They exchanged glances when they walked by Ms. Thang and the guyshe was obviously having an affair with now. “I can’t believe her,” Xochitlwhispered then turned to Vannah before walking off in the direction of her nextclass. “Listen, seriously, Vannah. If this whole thing with that girl reallybothers you, talk to him. Ask him about it and hash it out but I really don’tthink you should let it ruin what you have with him. You said more than onceyou wouldn’t be holding his past against him and technically it’s what thisgirl is. The guy told his family he’d marry you tomorrow, for crying out loud. Youtwo are too good together.”

Her friend leaned in and hugged her. Vannah pouted as she pulledaway still feeling stupidly emotional. “I will.” She lifted her phone. “Don’tthink I have enough juice to get through a whole conversation until I get homeand charge this, but I will.”

Twenty-Eight

Standoff

Byron

Taking advantage of the break between filming, Byron letthem know he was going upstairs to make a few calls. He hadn’t talked or evenhad a chance to check his texts all day, they’d kept him so busy. As soon as hewas in his front room he plopped down onto his sofa and checked his textsskipping all of them until he saw the text from Savannah and smiled big as heclicked on it and read it.

I love you!

It’d been sent about a half hour earlier. Likely when she wasdone with class and headed out to La Jolla. He hit the speed dial. It rang twotimes before she answered.

“Hello?”

Just hearing her voice had him smiling even bigger. “Hey, baby.You on your way home already?”

“No, I forgot my charger at your place, so I’m picking up the oneat the dorm first, turning in my assignment from there instead of the lab atschool, then taking off.”

He almost wished he wasn’t so attuned to her demeanor, because therewas an instant concern when he picked up on her sounding off. “Everythingokay?” When