Troubled Sincerity | ✓

Ch.10 | Finally

T R O U B L E D

S I N C E R I T Y

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"I can't believe you did that." Lucy deadpans.

"Did what?" Riley dishes for details.

"She told Mark she didn't want to be with him, and that she had Dylan." Lucy scoffs.

I roll my eyes.

"I mean hey, Dylan is hot." Riley shrugs.

"You do realize that Mark is head over heels for you, right?" Lucy turns to me on the couch.

"Oh really? Because not five seconds before I talked to him, he was kissing all over Jessica." I blurt as I send a glare to my best friend.

"That could mean anything." Lucy replies casually.

"Yeah, it means Mark and I were never going to happen, not for real anyway."

I lean my head back against the couch and sigh. My mind is a mess, but hey, at least I have my pride.

"Well I'm team Dylan all the way." Riley announces.

"We know." Lucy and I both say a little too harshly.

"You should just date him yourself Rie, that way Naveah here can chase Mark." Lucy wiggles her eyebrows, clearly satisfied with how she used Mark's last name in her sentence.

"Please, Dylan is in love with Naveah." Riley rolls her eyes. "Besides, I don't need a boyfriend right now."

"And why not?" I question.

Riley only shrugs. "I like being single."

"Nobody ever truly likes being single Rie. Everyone eventually wants someone to call their own." I say sadly.

"Whatever. If it happens, it happens."

Riley then gets up to leave the room. We hear her bedroom door shut and both Lucy and I share a look.

"I think we struck a nerve." Lucy sheepishly smiles.

"I think you might be right." I nod.

"Seriously though, you've never been one to just stand down when it comes to what you want, and I know you want Mark." Lucy says suddenly.

I give her a defeated look. "I just don't think I can handle another heartbreak. You don't understand Luc, when Mark threw that cup at me and kicked me out of his hospital room, it killed me. You remember how I was. I didn't want to do anything all summer, but my mom talked me into going on that trip with you guys. What if I'm chasing the boy who can never be caught?" I frown.

Lucy nods in understanding. "I get what you mean. It's hard."

"You have no idea. I see him on campus all the time. My stomach still tightens whenever I look at him, Luc. I don't even want to admit this, but that doesn't happen when I look at Dylan."

Lucy's eyes widen. "Then why are you with him?"

"Because. He's who I should be with. He helped me so much this summer. He broke me out of my shell and made me forget about Mark. He's not just the guy I'm with, he's my friend. I care about him, and I know he cares about me. I owe it to him to at least give him a chance. Right?"

"I guess." She finally agrees. "How about this?"

"Hm?" I look at her.

"Give Dylan a month. If after a month you look at him, and your stomach still doesn't tighten, then you tell him you're both only good as friends."