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They talked until the girls got there His dad warned him not to ot back Eric agreed, still not convinced that he could actually go through ending things with Sofia

After breakfast, they all went for a stroll Eric waited until his dad and Tina alking ahead of them and out of earshot Their walk up until then had been a quiet one He could tell Jennifer was eh breakfast

He turned to Jennifer "I’m sorry if I--"

"No" She placed her hand on his arize for anything I feel so stupid"

"But I didn’t irlfriend?" She scoffed "She’s a lucky girl You shouldn’t have to apologize for being a good guy Like you said, anyone else irlfriend or not I should’ve never acted the way I did" She squeezed his ar, and I a"

Eric s, beautiful, and single It was New Year’s Eve and you were having fun--nothing wrong with that"

With a weak sed Eric walked alongside her but she didn’t look at hiround "We both knorong of me to push even after you so politely turned me down, but I’d rather not dwell on that anyet it ever happened?"

"What happened?"

Jennifer gave hi around a nearby open ed to push his issues with Sofia to the back of his mind, at least for a while

After about an hour, they stopped to munch on some churros they’d purchased fro of the bridge they were standing on "I knoas the one that asked you to forget about last night, but I can’t help but feel like you’re still feeling uncomfortable"

Eric turned to her "Not at all, I just have a lot on my mind today" He bit into the churro and looked out in the road below theirl about Sofia ht, he didn’t think it a good idea He shook his head "Not really, just school and ot back to his dor text Sofia had sent him earlier He hadn’t wanted to hear what she had to say all day Even now, he wasn’t sure wanted to, but he read it anyway

I want you to know I’ve never once given any thought to what my life would be like without you in it…until now I know even after I explained why I let it happen, you weren’t completely satisfied with my answer, but since then I’ve had time to reflect and I think I have a more honest explanation I was afraid to tell you before, but because of everything that’s happened I think you deserve the truth After giving itfor taking ive the takes back the fact that I let hiot the best of me Eric I can’t take back what I’ve done Believe me, if I could, I would I just want you to know if I live to be a hundred, the fact that I gave in will be ret Even if s out, I will forever regret the pain that I’ve caused you No matter what happens I love you Always have Alill

Eric read it several tioing to have to do one of two things Either he got over that dao At the moment, both seemed impossible

Eric didn’t respond to Sofia’s text He hadn’t responded to any of her texts in days Including the last one where she said she was done torturing herself He still couldn’t stoiven in to Brandon just like that She probably even enjoyed thehi that week so far after classes and his internship with his dad and the girls They caught a show one of the nights and tonight he and Jennifer were on their way to a concert His dad had gotten tickets for them Some Spanish rock band Eric had never heard of His dad said they were supposed to be good, but Eric didn’t care He just wanted the distraction Having gone days for the first ti him If this was a taste of what his life would be like withoue like wt her, he was going to be one h the crowd as they made their way into the concert They stopped to buy drinks at the concession stand

"You want a mixed drink?" Eric remembered the kind of drinks Jennifer preferred New Year’s Eve

"I’ll take a beer," Jennifer said, blushing

Eric laughed "You don’t have to"

"Trust me, I learned e lobby of the arena They were early It was fun to people watch Before long, they were on their fourth beers Eric’s dad had given hi in the concessions were ridiculous, but his dad insisted he not worry about the money and just enjoy himself