Page 100 of Send It

Lincoln

Everything changed. Do you really want to know?

Reiss

No. Spare me the slutty details.

Lincoln

I’m not a slut.

Reiss

That’s not what I meant.

Lincoln

There’s worse guys than Colson.

Reiss

Does it have to be him?

Lincoln

There will never be anyone else. There never has been.

Reiss

Fuck Lincoln!

Lincoln

I’m sorry. I can’t bury it. I don’t want to but he will for you. That’s how much he cares about your friendship. Please don’t make him choose.

He doesn’t respond.

“Lincoln, what are you doing here? I thought you had a shift at Lakeside?” Mom asks as I stare at my phone, hoping for a response from Reiss.

“Stas is covering for me,” I say. “I just don’t feel good.”

She narrows her eyes at me, “A broken heart?”

“Not broken,” I sigh. “Just a little bruised.”

“Have you heard from Colson?” she asks. “Your dad has tried texting him but he hasn’t responded.”

“No,” I exhale. “I won’t until he talks to Reiss but I know it’s eating him alive that Reiss won’t talk to him. He’s been nervous for weeks about his surgery tomorrow and I can’t even be there for him.”

Mom pulls me into a hug and I can feel the tears start to sting my eyes. “Oh honey, I know you care about him. Those boys will figure it out. They won’t let this ruin what they’ve built.”

“It’s my fault,” I say.

“It’s not. Sometimes you can’t help who you fall for.”

I laugh through my tears, “Tell me about it. It would be a lot easier if it was someone else.Anyoneelse.”

“Sometimes love isn’t easy,” she says. “Not everything worth having is easy. You should know that by now. Sometimes you have to fight.”