I pretended to be okay with the idea of AJ and I never communicating again. “But…you live and you learn, right? I made the mistake of trusting him, and now I know not to be so quick to let someone in. See what I just did? I found the silver lining,” I added, forcing a smile.
Antonio smiled skeptically, but clearly wasn’t buying my act. My expression went blank when I realized that it wasn’t working. Who was I kidding? I was flat-out miserable.
“Not to bring up old stuff, but…when I went through this, I felt like it was the end of the world, too,” Antonio shared. “I guess what I’m trying to say is – it gets better eventually. I believe you’ll be happy again. Maybe sooner than you think.”
I nodded, but honestly didn’t believe a word of it. As far as I could tell, my heart would always bear the scars of me and AJ’s failed relationship. I was so sure we’d make it...
Antonio stopped beside my car. “You should come chill at my place.” He assessed the look on my face and then added, “Unless you need to get back. I just thought –“
“No, it’s cool. I wanna hang out, it’s just that I need to get back and get some homework done,” which was kind of true. “Tomorrow, though?”
He smiled a little. “Sounds like a plan. We can order pizza and just kick it.”
Antonio opened my car door for me and I climbed in. Before shutting it, he glanced down like he wanted to say something.
“Whassup?”
There was a brief hesitation before Antonio replied. “I just – I like that we’re talking again.”
That seemed innocent enough, so I smiled at him. “It’s been cool hanging with you again, too.”
He nodded with a smile, and then watched as I backed out of the parking space. Shortly after I turned out onto the main road, I saw him turn out in the opposite direction, headed home I assumed.
I made it back to the dorm and parked before my phone sounded off. Glancing down, I read Terrell’s name on the screen. Knowing he was about to scold me for not being around much, I almost didn’t answer.
“Hey, whassup?”
He sighed into the phone. “What? You can’t call nobody? I left you two messages yesterday.”
“I know. I’ve just been busy. What’d you need?”
“I was tryna check on you. Where you been lately?”
I hesitated to answer his question as I traipsed up the walkway to our building. “Around,” was the only response I gave.
“Really? ‘Around’?” He repeated.
I laughed a little. “Why you all in my business? Where you been?” I shot back teasingly, rounding the corner to take the next flight of stairs.
“Naw, don’t turn this around on me. You got a new dude or something?”
I paused midstride. “Depends on who’s asking – you or AJ?”
Terrell’s breath hitched in his throat. “W-what?”
My feet were moving again as I headed for the last set of stairs. “Mmm hmm…I saw y’all the other day. Apparently he’s your new bestie,” I teased, trying to hide the fact that I really didn’t like that I no longer knew which one of us he was being loyal to. “How do I know that’s your question and not his?
Terrell laughed a little. “It’s mine, but you can’t be mad. You’re the one who wanted us to get along, so…”
“Yeah, but that was before…never mind.” Now I wasn’t hiding my feelings so well.
“Listen, I’m just tryna be there for him, Sam. He’s really going through.”
The sound of Terrell having sympathy for AJ caught me off guard. “Excuse me?” I stopped walking again and folded my arms over my chest. “What exactly is AJ going through that he didn’t bring on himself?”
Terrell sighed into the phone.
“You believe him, don’t you?” I asked. When he didn’t respond, I shook my head.
“You haven’t heard his side of the story,” Terrell reasoned.