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“Our relationship, fake and otherwise, is now terminated. Thank you for your help. I can take it from here.”

The torn pages slip from my hand and fall slowly to the road. I get back into my car and immediately drive away. I am done with relationships. And boys. And people. All I need to get by in life is myself.

All this time, Mom was right.

Next goal: learn how to do life alone and get to a toilet, ASAP.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The next morning, I ditch breakfast to lie in bed so I can ruminate over the previous night’s events. Ben kissed Olivia before breaking up with me. Even though I’d strongly suspected he’d crossed the line with her, having confirmation hits in a way I wasn’t expecting it to. But the biggest bombshell of all last night, one I didn’t see coming, was learning that Axel turned to Olivia when he thought I’d gone back to Ben.

“Jamie,” Mom calls from behind my door. “You decent?”

I sit up and run a hand through my tousled hair. It does nothing to help the severe case of bedhead and tangles I’m sporting. “Yeah. Come in.”

She opens the door and stops dead in her tracks. Placing her hand on her chest, she calls Eli frantically. He comes bolting up the stairs.

“Mashallah,” he exclaims, hand to heart.

“What’s the matter with you two?” I ask.

Their eyes are wide as they walk through my room, observing the neat stacks of books and folded clothes.

“Nothing.” Mom shakes her head. “I just never thought I’d see these floors again until you moved out.”

“Jam-e,” Amo Eli says before sitting on my bed. “What is the reason behind this?”

“I was bored,” I lie.

Mom pulls out my desk chair to sit and it feels as if I’m about to have some sort of emotional intervention. “Your dad called. He wants to know if he can take you out today. Are you free?”

“Yes,” Eli says. “Areyou free? Did you and Axel talk last night after I left the two of you alone?”

I clear my throat. “Oh, we talked. But it’s not what you’re thinking. It’s over with us. Completely.”

“Because of Ben?” Mom rests her elbows on her knees, leaning in.

“No. It’s completely over with Ben too.”

“Then I guess you are free,” she says, offering me a sympathetic smile. “Want to talk about it?”

I look between them.

“Yeah. We didn’t think so,” Eli says, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

“Why didn’t Dad call me to ask if I wanted to hang out?” I ask.

Mom forces a smile. “I guess he still thinks he needs to go through me first.”

“Well he doesn’t,” I snap back. “We already discussed this. Doesn’t anyone ever listen to the words I say? Does my opinion mean nothing?”

“Nowdo you want to talk about it?” Eli asks, grabbing my ankle and shaking it.

“I’m not going to the formal with Ben anymore, or anyone else for that matter. I received confirmation that Ben kissed Olivia while we were still together, and if that isn’t enough suckage for one night, Axel has been spending time with Olivia.”

“I have a question. Are there any other girls in this town besides you and Olivia?” Eli quips.

“It’s not funny,” I say. “My life is a giant mess.”