Page 37 of When Ben Loved Jace

Adrien is eating his like it’s candy. “Oh who knows,” he replies. “Victor had literally hopped on a boxcar to get here. I’m not sure why he went to all that effort, because he didn’t seem particularly interested in getting back together with Jace. For all his faults, he was cordial enough. I didn’t feel threatened. I could tell that Jace still had a thing for him but chalked it up to Victor being his high school sweetheart. If you can call a dropout that. He simply came and went. I thought nothing of it.”

Adrien eats in silence a moment before he sets down his spoon. In conspiring tones, he says, “Then we got the call.”

I’m almost scared to ask. Should I be hearing any of this? Maybe not, but it would be impolite to not show interest. Or so I tell myself.

“From who?”

“Greg,” Adrien says, perking up again. “Have you met him?”

“Yeah.”

“Isn’t he delicious? The things I would do to that man! And what I would let him do to me. Anything and everything, in fact.”

I laugh. “He’s insanely hot. Did you pass the test?”

Adrien looks puzzled. “What test?”

I explain while we continue eating, my story seeming to amuse him, so I lean into every lurid detail.

Adrien fans himself. “Greg must have come up with that little scheme after Jace and I had parted ways. What a shame! I would have given it all up willingly for a piece of that sizzling hot meat.”

“Really?”

“No. In retrospect, sure. But not at the time. I was too head-over-heels in love with Jace.” He jabs a spoon in the air, as if finding his original train of thought. “Greg was the one who called us. He’d driven up there to visit his family and ran into Victor or something. I’m not entirely sure. All I remember is that he wasn’t doing well—”

“Victor?” I interrupt, wanting to get the details right, because this feels important.

“Yes. So of course Jace goes racing up there to check on him. I mean it. He hung up the phone, packed his bags, and drove off. Just like that. I was irritated, but not overly concerned about my relationship with him. I trusted Jace. Do you?”

I nod, suddenly feeling vulnerable.

“I wish I hadn’t,” Adrien says after studying me again. “Not that it would have made a difference. Hemusthave cheated on me. I could never get him to admit it, which infuriates me even now… But in my heart, I know he did. You don’t come back into town and refuse to kiss your boyfriend. Jace broke up with me almost immediately. I’m sure in his mind it was the noble thing to do. Even though I probably would have forgiven him. I loved him that much.” Adrien’s forehead creases, first with pain, then with a scowl. “Well the jokes on him, because I’m a rich and powerful attorney now, in a big beautiful house, whilehe’sa measly stewardess who can’t even afford to live in a trailer park and oh my god… I’m just a bitter old queen, aren’t I?” Adrien buries his face in his hands before dragging them down with a sigh. “You’ll have to forgive me. I’m obviously not over him. I probably never will be. Not completely, anyway.”

“I know the feeling,” I say with a lump in my throat.

“Do you really?”

“Yeah,” I say with a nod. “The circumstances were different, but some guys leave a mark on your heart. By scarring it.”

Adrien searches my eyes. Then he raises his coffee cup. “Amen to that, sister.”

We clink what I’m guessing is china and take sips before laughing to dispel the tension.

“I’m relieved to see that Jace’s standards haven’t dippedquiteso low again,” Adrien says playfully. “You clean up nicely. And at least you know the difference between a fruit spoon and a table spoon.”

“I had to guess,” I admit.

He smiles at this confession. “I hope you have better luck than I did. Jace really is a catch. I want him to find someone. I really do. He’s my friend. I’m just glad he didn’t end up with Victor.”

“Speaking of which,” I say, feeling as though I’m venturing into forbidden territory again. “How come they aren’t together?”

Adrien shakes his head. “I don’t know. Victor has become something of a taboo subject between Jace and me. We didn’t see each other for some time after the breakup. I needed to heal. When we started talking again, I didn’t want to know, and he never offered any information. I prefer it that way. But to answer your question, I assumed that whatever drove them apart in thefirst place is what keeps them from being together now. It can’t be easy loving someone like that.”

“I guess not.”

“Just be careful,” Adrien says, seeming for once as if he genuinely wants to help. “If Victor shows up again, don’t underestimate the effect that might have on your relationship with Jace. Old loves can shake you to your core. What I mistook as mere tremors of nostalgia became an emotional earthquake that tore us apart.”

I swallow and nod, fearing the truth of his words.