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“Bobby, how do you mean he already does?”

“I just …” I drop on the couch behindclumsily on the arm I shut my eyes “I’m …”

“You can tell me, sweetheart”

My eyes are still closed My heart druossips of Spruce, I reassureon, she won’t spill it to anyone else

She’s your Ma You can trust her

Just say it

“Jis for me,” I murmur, almost a whisper, to the back of my eyelids

I don’t hear any noise, like every muscle in her body is as still as an iron piece of furniture across the room

And then: “Well, of course he does, honey”

“No” I keep talking with s The ones you have for a … for a boyfriend He has feelings for me Real ones Real and actual ones”

Really, how many more ways can I say it?

I hear her hands drop to her lap “Are you sure?”

“He’s kissed uring things out right now It’s complicated”

“Okay” I hear shuffling, her rising fro aroundme close

I lean into her hug

Why was that so difficult, yet so easy to say out loud?

Strangely, I feel little relief I don’t think I’ll feel relief until I know for sure that this isn’t just so with me

I want to know it’s for real

I want to know that Ji to break irls’ hearts at school I had the pleasure of watching each and every one of the s like, “You’re close to hi my calls? Please, Bobby, you’re irls would co to knohat they did wrong with the infa

What if it was none of their faults?