Pepper never meant to lose her best friend. Lucas never meant to fall in love.
Yet the aftermath of broken hearts leads them to blur the lines of their friendship forever. When Pepper is dumped by her boyfriend and Lucas is led on by his crush, they...
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THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ALCOHOL in the world that can erase this pain, help me forget about Mason, or even feel better about the fact that he left me. Still, I search the bottom of several red solo cups for a solution.
My only answer is a spinning room and finding grief and humor in every thought that comes to mind.
"Why can't my life be a musical?" I rub my runny nose with one hand and use the other to jerk a shaky finger at the TV as High School Musical plays. "People never break up in musicals. L-look at how much he loves Gabriella! He would never just dump her."
Lucas releases a cloud of smoke through his nose and rubs my arm. "Doesn't she break up with him in the second one?"
"Shh. Th-that's not the point, okay? The point is he would never leave her for no reason." I sniffle and snuggle closer to him, head lying on his chest as he slings his heavy arms around me. "Not like how Mason did."
"You're right. Troy is a lot more romantic than Mason."
Times like these are the best emotional therapy. Wrapped up in Lucas' warm body as he tolerates my intoxicated declarations and obsessive need to re-watch my favorite musicals. Watching others present a faux love helps me deal with my very real ones. Even when I find fragments of us in every scene.
"I mean it, Pepper. Mason was stupid. He gives up on you for some crappy excuse and-"
"Shh." I reach back and try to place my fingers on his lips, shifting over a few times until I can feel them shut. "I don't want to talk about Mason anymore or I'll cry." Lowering my hand, I bite at my manicured nail and stare at the screen.
"Why don't you take off his jacket then?" He tugs the sleeves of Mason's jacket with hints of disdain in his deep voice. "It smells like him."
"Exactly," I mumble and flick my wrist vigorously, loosening his grip on it. "Plus, it feels nice."
"This isn't getting over him."
"We just broke up. Let me take my time to detach from him."
He's silent for a moment, but only a moment, because his chest expands as he draws in a breath and declares, "No."
I stiffen, suddenly wanting to remove myself from his embrace. "No?"
"Take off his jacket," he demands simply, "or this marathon is over."
I sit up and twist my body to face him, scrutinizing the twist of annoyance across his expression. "Why? It reminds me that a small part of him still cares about me."
"That's your problem. Hope. Hope is what ruins us all. You can't hang on to any hope that he loves you because he doesn't. If he did, he wouldn't have hurt you." Lucas tugs at the left sleeve of the jacket and it easily slips off my arm.
