Page 66 of Denim & Diamonds

Now I’m the one avoiding phone calls.

I stared down at the cell in my hand and realized it was the first time it had rung all day. It had been five days now since I’d seen Brock. On the first day, he’d called four times. On the second, three. On the third, two. Now today—it was just the one call. That’s likely how fast I would fade from his thoughts once I was back in New York.

5

4

3

2

1

February who?

Tears welled in my eyes.

It had been absolute torture to cut off all contact with him. But why dig myself deeper when nothing would ever come of it? It would only make it more painful in the end. Yet I somehow couldn’t imaginewalking out that door tomorrow and going back to the City without seeing him.

“Yoo-hoo…” A voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to find Morgan standing at my bedroom door. She tilted her head. “Boy, you were really somewhere else. I said your name three times.”

“Did you?”

She nodded with her hands behind her back, then walked in and held out a small gift bag. “A little something to remember our time here.”

I smiled sadly. “I don’t have a parting gift for you.”

She plopped down on the bed next to me and set the bag on my lap. “This isn’t really a gift. It’s more closure.”

Inside was the black teddy I’d worn the night of my video sexcapades with Brock. I’d hand washed it and returned it to her the next day. “Umm... How is this closure? Seeing this is more theoppositeof closure.”

Morgan covered my hand with hers. “Not if you put it on and go say goodbye one last time...”

I started to speak, but Morgan put a hand up. “Hear me out before you respond. You’re better at giving advice than I am. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you these last few weeks. But every once in a blue moon, something smart comes out of my mouth. I think what I have to say is important.”

I squeezed her hand. “Everything you say is important, Morgan. You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

She rested her head on my shoulder. “You need to see him one more time, February. Talk to him. Look at what happened with your dad when you tried to shut him out. Relationships that are important to us are like open wounds. If you walk away without closure, they festerand never heal. But if you allow it to close, you can move on. You’ll have a scar, but we can live with those.”

I sighed. “Maybe you’re right.”

Morgan smiled. “Hang on.” She dug into her pocket and took out her cell phone. Holding it up to me, she pressed record. “Say that again. But leave off themaybepart.”

I chuckled and bumped my shoulder with hers. “I’m going to miss you, my zany friend.”

She winked. “No, you’re not. You’re going to see me every day. On Instagram.”

***

I raised my hand to knock, then lowered it.

What if he has company?

What ifNinais in there?

What if…

No. No. No. I’m being ridiculous. Brock would never do that to us.