“Tell me everything,” Jade says. “I want every minute detail.”
I wish I could tell her. But there’s no point in trying to explain
how I’m falling for a guy from 1925. Still, I ache to share this
grief with someone.
“He’s amazing,” I say.
Jade gives a happy little squeal. I close my eyes and picture
Lawrence. “Trust me when I say you’ve never met anyone like
him. He’s smart, deep…different.”
“And hot? Is he hot?”
“Very.”
“I’m stunned. Seriously. I’m so happy for you, Cass.”
“Well, don’t be. It’s all over now.”
“What?”
I turn over on the bed. Through the closed curtains of my
window, I can see a single line of sunlight. The same sun
shining on the beach. The same sun shining on 1925 and
Lawrence.
“We broke up.”
“Why?”
“Because. It’s complicated. Trust me.”
Jade sounds outraged. “You have to tell me. What guy in his
right mind would break up with you?”
“He didn’t. Not really. It wasn’t like that.”
“Well, what was it like?”
I search for the words to most closely convey the situation.
“He’s…leaving in nine days. And I’ll never be able to see him
again. Or talk to him.”
“Why? Is he going to Mars or something? Good grief, Cass,
I’m sure he’ll have a cell phone.”
“He just won’t, okay? It’s not his fault. That’s just the way it
is. We decided we might as well cut it off now. Before anyone
gets hurt.”
Jade is quiet for a moment. Then I hear her scoff in the angry
way she does when faced with social injustices.
“That’s ridiculous, Cass. And you know it.”
I flop my face on the pillow. It’s pointless to try to explain
this to her.
“If you guys care about each other, you fight for it,” she says.
“I don’t know what these insurmountable reasons are for you
never being able to see each other again, but A, it’s not for nine
days, so why aren’t you enjoying every last second together?
And B, since when are you the type to give up?”
“There are some things you just can’t fight, okay?”
Jade scoffs. “The Cass I know wouldn’t let anything stop her
if she’d found real love.”
Her words needle right into my heart. I squeeze back the tears.
“I have to go. My mom’s calling me.”
There’s a silence. Knowing Jade, she’s probably forming some
final, poignant line that will cut into my soul, and I just can’t
handle that right now.
“I’ll call you later,” I say, and I press the button to hang up.
But the screen doesn’t go blank. Frowning, I look down.
Another call has come through right as I ended with Jade, and
I’ve answered it. I put the phone up to my ear.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Cass.”
It’s Brandon. How perfect.
“Oh…hi, Brandon.”
“Just calling to remind you about the lacrosse game. The
other night at dinner, you said you’d come. I didn’t hear
anything from you this week, so I wanted to make you sure
you remembered.”
“Right. Um…about that—”
“It’s gonna be really awesome. My friend Sara’s going to
save you a seat right up front. Then we’re grabbing dinner at
Reed’s after.”
“It sounds great, but—”
“Then you’re coming?”
“Well…”
“I talked to your mom earlier. She’s cool with it. She said you’d
mentioned it and wanted to go. I’ll pick you up at six, okay?”
I smack my hand on my forehead and drag it wearily down my
face. This day just keeps getting better. Now Mom’s involved.
She’ll carry me out to the car herself if I show any resistance.
“Okay,” I say, trying not to show my irritation. “Guess I’ll
see you then.”
“Sweet.”
“Super sweet.”
Setting my jaw, I hang up the phone. Memo to me: Kill
Mom when this date is over.
h