ally hit me until I w

here were three handsome g

on my plate looked like

ere in that haze, I though

e - that song Hube

nd my head slumped

l, slender hand reach across and move

a soft sigh, then picked up the

pletely and heard

I was surrounded by

arby, his face

licked back and forth between me an

s spring water, "She's really drunk.

auled me out of there and g

e, "How did you end up eating h

d never hea

now him?"

over in the law school. Total trust fund

as it Rosanna had a thing for him b

mbered Hubert had mentioned

hman in the neighboring school who drov

t good, so he couldn't figure out why all the

at girl in his major

n a pedestal, and I believed ever

was obviously jus

right eyes, and a kind of clean, unbothered ener

patio stool, he stood up to pay the b

ically came up

membered that I never pa

d pulled out my phone. At the top o

rt - still marke

ing any bette

le that I wasn't allowed

d habits. At parties, I'll dri

ng me. I only saw him taking drinks on

ingers to stay steady as I typed, "Thank

ed for a while before sending, "I'm just concerned as

kid... who, at thirteen, helped me prank the boy who used to pick on me... and who, at

had been a pretty

so good, it made it almost impossible to

a long time. And then, someth

along with all those little memories I used to treasure, the ones I

asual "you're like a little sister," it was all g

near the law building nearby, ho

sure I would

g for s

ce sounded

n Ro

o really remember much, other than the va

ng there with sharp features glowing under th

said, "Uh... do you remember me

and chuckled. "Yeah,

as the food

ea," h

your payme

eted

hat am I sup

to lunch and

r word, his broad shoulders and sl

there,

k, "Well? You

h up with him like

e wing place wasn't too b

hen Hubert and Rosanna walk

when he saw me, but qu

other hand, didn

"Oh wow, you guys are eat

y knew about her from what Jace had said that sh

t briefly. He said she was a junior the

me when she said that-she wa

t me, like he was checkin

uneasy, eyes flicking betwee

s the table, and plopped down next to Co

the menu and asked,

nd replied, "Wh

one, you were willing to c

ice, but for him, I s

o brave the blazing heat

his pen in front of my

ead toward me.

odd

ering, "Didn't get a single bite last time.

.. order a few e

get heartburn? That stuf

th interest. "You tw

ering it was only the s

oke to me did feel like we ha

're not. They didn't even k

ne was

enu, looked up slowly, his gaze sett

to decipher something unspo

g, "Oh, but Colin and I kind of know eac

replied flatly. "

The table fell into a silence so

things. And clearly, Hu

ch a biza

girlfriend. Across from him? Hi

raight-A boyfriend. Across from her

rmined to power through my wings a

troom, Colin leaned toward me out of

en it well. But clea

igning indiffe

he booth, smiling lazily. "W

I so much as crook a finger, she'd come running

omach turn. It felt

elationship ended, I knew one thing for sure that no matter how per

s just a love-struck

on't talk like you know ever

o know she ha

e. "So why are you into a guy who's already take

a slap-clean, sud

many guys in this world

ouldn't be that hard to find ano

usly at him. "

s nose. "Wel

ovebirds came bac

changed. It looked like

ly red, and Hubert's expre

rry, something came up.

d two more plates of wing

e. "You're officially m

th my mouth

amp. Makes me hung

speech

did become my go

ating alone last time and figured he didn't h

easy on the eyes. Watching

bing wings toge

that we were wing soulmates. We never arg

t electives and didn't get

the lecture hall waiting, dr

mething going on be

it righ

s sense. A guy Rosanna couldn't even

d my ey

really been talking lately. I th

too, but I had always be

er over, and he should be the

orning, good night, have you eaten-the whole routine.

es to stop contacting m

d him, peace and

I finished up our usual wi

ive me home, and

bickered mid-meal like an o

cannon-once he got going, our wings s

igure out how he earned that "u

atte-black coupe, I got it. No w

it was

up, it screamed

y building. I was just about to ho

to tell you s

nt, way more awk

er the streetlight, I could swear hi

onight. Was this dude reall

if spicy's not your thing, just say so

ehow turned

ar window snappe

was bending down to loo

st a month since

for dinner at their place, I

ly leaned in, a little

crisp kind of scent that made

ing out?"

h brushing against my

odd

ouldn't just avoid going home j

eached across me, his strong arm brushi

dies definitely doesn't c

r my heart

"Go on. I'll pick yo

summer night breeze swept across

realized my che

Hubert's voice hit me lik

, this might've been the first time he e

uldn't look good if

tte butts near his feet, I had no

would've run up and th

d, "You've got a girlfriend. You think it

hless, then tri

ng on between you

stand what he

been kept in the dark, livin

I was just the backup player wh

lineup, but I was never allowed to

cted to sit on the sidel

had come to t

seemed like

e and asked, irritated, "Wh

hat before. His eyes turned red

. You shouldn't get invo

e, called me your damn sister, and now you're standing here trying to

Colin, my comebacks had

. Hubert just stoo

him, ready to

his voice hoarse, so much so th

. Then I walked away

s off with C

to my elective classe

me up for food al

poke me in the back with

ve doing crazy chili dogs. Wa

omemade gumbo. Want m

ike that, saying a

pounds over the past two months. My belly was st

othes and-well, I hadn't

that he was defi

red at him. "No. I'm

ck, pouting

ving a thing with him now? My brother and the campus

tantly, like she was wa

rything that had gone dow

's great, but...

as for her to tell Hub

ot cornered by Hubert

nd dragged me into

that just vanish? Being with her made me realize something... That year with you, you were already filling up t

d to like him. So he kept pushing,

ed I would be waiti

anymore. Because h

ping my shoulders like we

d laugh in his face when a low chuck

liar v

d over the railing, looking

ng. Hey, whoever you are... min

his pockets and strolled down th

, he pulled me

feel his warmth spreading through m

His eyes red as he asked m

ed bla

im with a mocking smirk, "I'm taking her out

ok so broken-his eyes vaca

away lik

olin's arms, my hea

ed affection, "Valerie, look at you! Acting like a badass in f

othes with freshly washed hands, and stealing that adorable lit

looked down and nervously pic

m sharp as a tack, but you got played for a whole year and didn'

ld back anymore. My lips tr

crushed,

my back while awkwardl

aying it was delicious and would get cold if I didn'

, deep and tender, like t

so full of affection, he could

ut I shook my head hard to

nds, looking me over while asking,

me so much I stumbled over

l then, how about actual

ecoming Colin's girlfrien

wild pra

er you didn't like Hubert-turns out y

of everyone, proudly introducing m

he brought me to a

then asked him, "Isn't this the clumsy girl fr

camp, even singled out for ext

have known m

t them off, "I'm buying tonight. Sav

ling me not to drink because I h

drunk, and ended up flopping onto the passenge

like him were only a d

e, I parked and took a

n his eyes closed, casting

re thin and

e important t

he best source for

lly have to stand on tiptoe just to reach it.

y call me Cl

s eyes, a li

cute," he

tly. I couldn't resist le

l. He grabbed the back of my

oodnight to Colin and was abo

over? Hubert's drunk an

hanged, and

her Jace would invite me for dinner, or he would

, and Jace and I were still friends, it was

bert sprawled on the c

him, apologizing

boyfriend, and he's still drinking like

"Is there really no chance? It's okay, Valerie, if yo

nded, "What does

reath and told

y talked about something th

e kicked the unconscious Hubert h

Why can't we go back? We've known each other for so many y

estioning why the one at fault would

felt there was n

aged to get hi

a sniffle, "Valerie, our family has wronged you. Don't worry, Hubert will n

odded, waving

ight. I just wanted to complain to

one and texted him

u seriously getting b

standing there, face clouded

tting out of the cab, w

id now, it would so

not what it looks like, I swear! Jac

drunk?" Colin cut

ow doesn't mean you owe him anything. Since when d

and pouted, not

ike a scruffy little lion

angrier about what I had

ser and hugge

t out a quiet sigh. His voice softened

in his chest an

like you more an

ged me tighter. "Doesn't mat

still starry-eyed, worshipping someone else from afar, there was

that version of myself-the one who,

lin's

mp, there was this girl

ou could barely see her face, just the round

y the instructor because her m

hard he was nearly falling over. "S

her awkward movements. "S

mach, and raised her hand weakly, "Sir, I had hot

oup burst ou

ing into her at the win

ously eat, pla

ould still manage to shovel in more. It was

s with someone like her wo

when I started l

ever saw her a

er on campus, trailing behind a g

w steps behind, but he

n that gu

w who often brought me water. I had also seen him pi

on someone, she was crushin

he was a cl

ed to eating

inner when someone behind me asked,

ying to hit on me, I gave

uation. She just want

r eyes and nose were

very

en