Page 148 of More For Me

“Let’s sit down.”

She reclaims her spot on the spread-out sleeping bag and I sit across from her. “So, uh. Friday night pretty much sucked for me. Before I got to the party, I mean.” I swallow hard. Even after my conversation with Nisha, the words are still going to hurt to say out loud. “My parents are separating.”

Her expression turns sympathetic—but not surprised. “Leo told me.”

“He did?” I ask, startled.

She waves a hand. “He came over. I’ll tell you about it later.” Her eyes scan my face. “I’m assuming that news hit you pretty hard.”

“Uh, yeah. You could say that.” I shake my head, having no idea where to even start. “I spent a long time feeling responsible for my parents,” I finally settle on. “I thought if I could just make them happy, it might get better. Losing Ari. The way they fought after. The way my mom was so sad all the time while my dad just shut down.” I close my eyes. “That probably sounds really stupid.”

She reaches out to touch my hand. I want her to take it so badly but I haven’t earned that yet. “It doesn’t sound stupid. It’s also not really news to me, Bodhi.”

I blink at her in surprise. “It’s not?”

She makes a scoffing sound. “You always talk about how you know me so well—I know you too, Bodhi. You think I couldn’t see it the second I walked into your parents’ house that night?” She studies me. “So you were freaking out about your dad leaving and that…led you to come to the party to break up with me?”

“I, uh, ran into Caroline,” I tell her, not meeting her eyes. “She seemed to be under the impression the whole you and James dating thing was still a possibility. She said we should meet about incorporating some love triangle elements to the show.”

Everly straightens. “And you thought I agreed to that?”

I shrug. “I mean, yeah? She seemed pretty confident.”

She holds up a hand. “Hang on. The last time we talked about this, I was very clear that I didn’t want to do that. Do you remember that?”

Oh, shit. I thought she was pissed before but this is a level I don’t think I’ve ever seen. “Lele—”

“Don’t you Lele me,” she snaps. “I told you I wasn’t doing it. Itoldyou. And I told that asshole James and his sister and everyone else at that table. Do you remember that?”

“Yes, but—”

“Did you think I lied?”

“No, of course—”

“Did you think I would change my mind without talking to you?”

That makes me pause. “I guess…maybe?”

Her jaw clenches and I wonder what curse word she’s biting back right now. “Then maybe you don’t know me as well as you always say.”

“No.” I reach for her hands but she pulls them away. “I wasn’t thinking clearly—”

“Obviously. Because if you knew me at all, Bodhi Lakra, you would know that I would never,everdo something like that to a person who I love.”

I stare at her. Did she just say what I think she said?

“You could have asked me, you know,” she goes on, but I can barely focus on the words. Because I’m pretty sure Everly Ransome just said she loves me. “If you had asked I would have told you that I hadn’t even had the chance to talk to Caroline yet but of course I had no plans to—”

“You love me?”

It’s her turn to blink at me in confusion. “What?”

“You love me? You just said—”

She waves her hands dismissively, like I’m talking about something completely inconsequential. “Obviously I do. But that’s not the point. The point is—”

“Oh, that’s very much the point.” I scoot forward on the sleeping bag, moving closer. “You love me?”