6
That night, Jake took me out. He looked like he had something to say but was holding back. Finally, I couldn’t stand it. “What’s with the look?”
Jake hesitated, took a swig of his beer, and blurted, “Ty, don’t get down over this. That girl Rena? She’s messed up.” He paused, then continued, “I saw the video of her celebrating Grant’s birthday. It went viral–she didn’t even think about you. It’s infuriating.”
Jake got worked up, coughing after his rant, before taking another drink. I patted his back, calm as ever. Once he was breathing easy, I said, “Doesn’t matter. I’m engaged, too.”
Then I remembered–I’d forgotten to post the engagement photos to my Instagram. After sharing it, I held up my hand to Jake. “Eliza Caldwell is my fiancée.”
Jake looked stunned, slowly processing what I’d just said before finally blurting out, “Isn’t Eliza into girls?”
Grabbing my hand in sudden concern, he added, “Ty, don’t throw away your life just to get back at Rena.”
I laughed. “Jake, Eliza isn’t into women.”
Realizing the truth, Jake practically jumped with excitement. “That’s awesome, Ty. You’re finally done with that girl. We need to celebrate!”
He was beaming, saying, “I’m looking forward to being your best man.”
But as soon as we got to the restaurant, there was Rena with her friends–and, of course, Grant, holding her around the waist like they were made for each other. Sammy, her best friend, spotted me first. She stepped in front of Grant, putting on a friendly smile. “Tyler, join us?”
Jake was ready to snap back, but I held him off. “I’m not your brother–in–law, so stop calling me that.”
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11:53 AM
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Sammy fell silent, thinking I was just angry. “Look, I’ll make sure Rena apologizes to you. She knows she messed up.”
She hadn’t even finished when Rena and Grant started kissing. Sammy, looking completely embarrassed, rushed over and whispered to Rena, “Hey, Tyler’s here. Maybe go talk to him?”
Rena snorted. “We broke up. Why’s he here?”
“Don’t do this. He hasn’t spoken to you in two months. You don’t want to push him away.”
Another friend chimed in, “So what if it’s been two months? He still came running when he heard she was celebrating someone else’s
birthday.”
Rena sighed, rolling her eyes. “Birthdays come every year. He can get lost.”
Grant, ever the gentleman, tugged her arm gently, saying, “It’s okay, Rena. Tyler’s more important.”
Right then, my phone rang. I put it on speaker. A woman’s voice floated over the line, “Baby, when are you coming home? I miss you.”
Rena stiffened, recognizing the voice. It was the same one she’d heard on the phone last time.
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She jumped up, pushing Grant away and gritting her teeth. “Tyler, you’re unbelievable.”
“Oh, so now I’m the one cheating?” I looked away from her, speaking softly into the phone, “Just wait a bit, sweetheart, I’ll be there soon.”
I hung up, then turned to Rena. “You’ve never heard the saying? The best exes stay dead to you.”
Rena clenched her fists, fury blazing in her eyes. “Tyler, I’ll never come looking for you again. It’d be insane.“.
I rolled my eyes and left with Jake.
