A Year Around the Sun

t w e n t y-f i v e - that's not your decision

love may come, love may go,
once you find it, it's all you k n o w . . .

🌊🌊🌊

Across from me in a booth at Mack's, Jodie's blue eyes were avoiding me at all costs. Her lips were attached to the straw sticking out of her soda, instead of moving with an explanation I was dying to hear. I can't really blame her though – if I was being interrogated about a sudden romance with someone I previously swore I loathed, I'd probably be doing the same thing.

But being a nosy best friend is my job. It comes in the directions that I have to pester her and Sadie if I get a lead on something and they try not to tell me what it is.

Ever since I got back from Jersey, she still hasn't told me what happened between her and Aiden while I was gone, as well as what's continuing to happen with the two of them. It's been six days since I first found out about them from Aiden's blabbermouth at Mason's party last weekend. Between work and life in general, it's been hard to arrange hang outs with my friends lately. But today, on this Friday afternoon after my morning shift at the diner, Jodie and I went out to lunch.

"Jodie."

Her gaze darted over to reluctantly meet mine. She wasn't even sipping from her drink anymore, she was just acting like it so she wouldn't have to talk.

An aggravated, grumbling sound came from my throat as a response. I sat farther back and crossed my arms, glaring right at her. "If you don't tell me, I'm going to stand up and scream. And then I'm gonna call Brody and ask him about it because he definitely knows," I threatened, and she immediately froze up. "Aiden can't keep his goddamn mouth shut except for when I need to know something."

"Alright!" She tore her straw out of her mouth and threw her hands up in surrender. My lips curled into a satisfied smile, as I nodded my head and didn't say anything else. I'd hate to ruin the moment now that she's finally about to open up.

Jodie sighed and kept her eyes on her empty plate in front of her. The commotion from the rest of Mack's was the only thing filling the silence between us. In a hasty and humiliated manner, she put her one hand over her face to try and hide the flushing of her skin.

"We hooked up," she murmured. At the obvious, but not quite so fulfilling confession, I raised my eyebrows. My smirk didn't go anywhere either. She saw the look and rolled her eyes. "More than once."

I made a noise somewhere between a gasp and a squeal, clapping my hands together. "This is so exciting, Jod! I'm so happy," I said, and I couldn't stop grinning at her.

"It's not that big of a deal," she shook her head and looked away, deciding to toy with the tip of her straw.

"Yes it is!" I contested, my eyes widening at her modest demeanor. "Come on, stop being ridiculous. Why didn't you want to tell me?"

"Because," she said under her breath. Still refusing to look at me, she took a few seconds to think about her response. "I knew I'd never hear the end of it from you about how I said I hated him, Brody, and all their friends. But now I know that they're not totally terrible."

"Mhm," I excessively hummed, and she just rolled her eyes again. "So do you think it'll lead to something more?"

She shrugged her shoulders, waiting for our waitress to leave the table since she came over to take our plates. Once we got our bill and we were alone again, Jodie leaned her elbows on the table, both her hands under her chin.