When peer pressure pushes Lenny to try out a new dating app, she starts to realize that the past may not always define the future.
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Lenny Harlow wants a lot of things, but a boyfriend isn't...
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WE PARTED AT THEQUAD. Three hours after leaving CJ alone with her thoughts, I arrived back at the dormitories, heaving from exertion and clutching two plastic bags in my hand. I'd gotten carried away, and while that was a terrible excuse, I couldn't deny that it helped a little.
I raised my hand to knock, not bothering to check if the door had been locked first. If CJ was mad at me, this would give her the opportunity to slam the door in my face, thereby releasing some of that anger, which would lead to us being friends again. Blah blah blah.
Slowly, the door creaked open. CJ stood in front of me, glassy sea-green eyes staring right at me. She chewed on the inside of her cheek. "You forgot your purse." Her voice was a whisper.
"Yeah."
"You were gone a while."
"I was gone for three hours." When she said nothing, I continued. "I'm sorry I left you on your own. I really should not have gotten so carried away."
"Where did you go?"
I gestured to the bags in my hand. "To get kimchee."
She arched a brow. "And?"
There was no winning this. "And nothing. Where could I possibly have gone? I barely know anyone on campus, and I'm not one for extreme socializing," I told her. "I wanted to do something nice for you. Comfort food seemed easy enough. I got distracted. I should've been here sooner."
CJ rolled her eyes and wiped her face with her knuckles. "You expect me to believe that you, Lenny Harlow, ventured into town to get me kimchee, got distracted by some phenomenal miracle, and straight up forgot the reason you left in the first place?"
I parted my lips to explain further.
"I'm not finished, Lenny." She threw the door open. "Come on in. You're starting to attract attention."
CJ switched on a light, then dived into her bed. I stayed in position, back to the door just in case I had to make a run for it. If I was going to get out of this ... debacle, I would have to out myself. I was still playing the scenario over and over again. I wasn't ready to relay it to anyone.
"All right." She turned on her back. "You were saying?"
The heat from the plastic bag was starting to burn my thigh. "You said you weren't finished."
She waved her hand in my direction. "Forget what I said. What were you doing that was so time consuming? You said it yourself; you don't know anyone here. So what took your time?"
With a defeated sigh, I set the bags on whatever platform was closest to me and slumped to the ground. At this rate, shame and I would become very well acquainted sooner than later.
"It was August," I said. "August Wilder. You remember him?"
She moved into a sitting position. "Your ex boyfriend?" I nodded. "He was here?"
