Dear Diary

33. STITCHES

G I O V A N N I

"Check those two out," Cassie says, nodding her head in Chace and Andre's direction, who're sitting in a booth having lunch. "They're cute. Chace really likes him."

My friends and I haven't spoken to Chace since that night at the school. I'm not feeling too good about that since I pretty much accused him of being D.T. and then he ended up shot. But I have to talk to him, right? It'd definitely make me a dick if I didn't, and I'm trying not to be such a dick these days, but how the hell do I do it? It's different from mending things with Cassie because, well, the dude got fucking shot.

"Thanks again for giving me a ride today," Cassie continues as I put a stack of napkins in the dispenser near the register. "I owe you one."

"Nah, you're good," I say.

"Ya know, we never did get to hang out like you wanted. Maybe we could after work?"

I size her up and can tell she's being serious. "Where? It'll be late by the time we're off."

"The bowling alley," she says. "It closes at eleven. I can pay our way since you showed me such kindness."

"I told you it's okay. You don't have to do that."

"We're not going on an expensive getaway, I can spare a few bucks for bowling. What, is me paying going to emasculate you?"

"Just wouldn't be very chivalrous," I say, recalling a similar situation happening between Rome and Tori all those weeks ago here at the grill.

She shrugs. "I don't need chivalry."

A customer walks up to the counter and Cassie goes to take care of them.

In my peripheral I see Andre stand up from the booth and head toward the restroom. I guess now is my chance to talk to Chace.

He looks up when I sit down across from him. "What do you want?"

"First off, sorry for all the shit I talked to you," I say. "Secondly, how have you been since . . ." The shoulder brace he's wearing makes me cringe. "Everything?"

"Never better," he mumbles.

"What's Diana up to? You still holed up with her?"

He scoffs. "She's gone. Again."

"Really?"

"Guess I got it honestly. When things get hard we up and leave. She couldn't even tell me to my face. She broke the news in a text."

"She can't be gone-gone, right? She has a house in town."

"I don't know if she's gone forever or cooped up in some hotel for a while, but she's gone, and she didn't take me with her."

"Sorry to hear that."

"You're really apologetic today. Where were your apologies when Sidney was running around?" The question hits me hard, which I'm sure was his intention. "Why'd you hang out with her?"

"Because I loved her. Love makes us do dumb shit," I answer honestly.

"Story of my life." He takes a sip of water from the glass sitting in front of him. "Do you know why it hurt so much when Rome chose Sidney over me? It wasn't because of a silly crush. I could've dealt with Rome rejecting me romantically. It was the loss of our friendship that really stung. Rome knew me best. Cassie and Raya didn't come into the picture until later. So, for the longest time, Rome was my only real friend. I told him everything—my embarrassing affinity for rom-coms, my passion for photography and cinema . . . How my mom died, and Dad started drinking his life away to cope. Rome knew it all. He was my reminder that it was okay to dream and look forward to a new day. He was the reason. Then Sidney happened . . . and I had no reasons left."