Journey (3)

Chapter 16

things i wish you said- sabrina carpenter

I sit in the passenger seat of Maggie's car, trying to arrange a time for my car to get repaired. Since it's still out of action, I asked Maggie to give me a lift into the hospital, until I figured out an alternative. 

I used the number that Connor gave me, and texted his friend. I want to get the car fixed by the end of the day, but it doesn't look like that's going to be possible. 

"Any luck?" Maggie asks me, leaning over to look at my phone screen. 

I show it to her. "No," I say, shaking my head. "He's busy all day today. The earliest he can come out and even look at my car is tomorrow morning."

"Did you remind him about the favour?" Maggie points out, reminding me. 

"Yes," I say, nodding firmly. "I did remind him about the favour. But since he doesn't even owe me, it's not like he's willing to move everything around just to come out and look at my car."

"Hmm," Maggie says, mumbling. Quickly, she changes the subject, looking over at me knowingly. "You haven't revealed much about what happened last night? You know, that little ride home you got?"

"There's nothing to say," I conclude, shrugging. It's true. There really isn't anything else to say about it. The conversation ended. It didn't go well, it didn't go badly, it just ended. That was it. Nothing to tell.

"There's always something with you two," Maggie says, grinning. "Honestly, I can't keep track of it all. Your sworn enemies one minute, and lovers the next." She laughs, knowingly.

"Not lovers," I correct her. That's one thing I'm sure about. "We're just friends. Sort of. Something like that." I don't even know how to describe it.

"For now," Maggie says, quietly, but still loudly enough for me to pick up on. "What?" she asks, seeing me glance over at her with a look of scepticism.

"What makes you so sure, exactly?" I ask her, raising an eyebrow. It's a light hearted exchange, but I can see where she's coming from. For the past year, we've been on and off. Now, it's just off. And that's all it's going to be.

"What do you think?" Maggie scoffs, rolling her eyes slightly. "Okay, you say you're just friends, or whatever it is that you're defining yourselves as, but what about those late night drives home, going out to the bar together, all of that?" She laughs. "Anyone can see it."

"That's what friends do," I say, truthfully. "And that's what Connor and I are. Friends. Nothing more." I believe this too, at last. It feels like a sigh of relief. 

"Don't do that," Maggie says, scoffing again. "You always do that. You say that you're friends, and nothing more, and then a few hours later you'll be changing your mind completely."

"Not this time," I say, shaking my head. "Really, I mean it. I helped him out with a date the other day. How much more evidence do you need that I am completely over it?"

Maggie nods, turning into the parking lot of the hospital. She is silent for a moment, focusing on finding a parking space. Finally, she speaks. "So, it's really the end of the line for you and Connor, is it?"

"Yes," I say, agreeing. I'm glad that she's seeing it from my point of view now. "It's the end of the line. We don't work, it didn't work."

Maggie parks the car, and then leans back into her seat, facing me. "If that's true, I'll be impressed," she says. "Anyway, let's get into the hospital. I'm already running late since I had to pick you up, too." She rolls her eyes, laughing. "So let's go," she says, opening the car door and already getting out of it.