I’m sorry for blaming everyone else’s failures for my own.
I’m sorry I didn’t give us a chance.
I’m sorry I treated you like you were nothing to me, especially when you were everything.
Most of all, I’m sorry for not believing in us like I should have.
Text me baby, one more time.
910-555-1027
“What the hell?”I mutter out loud.
“That’s for you, right? I’m not wrong, am I?”
“No, that’s definitely for me.”
“I don’t get why he’s calling you Bucky or himself Captain America, but everything else made sense that it would be Shep. Plus, that isdefinitelyhis phone number. Is he an idiot or something? Does he not know how many creeps he’s going to get blowing up his phone?”
“He’s stupid, that’s for sure.” I smile. Bucky and Cap hasalwaysbeen our thing. Just us. Not even Allie and AJ know. “Why were you reading the personals?”
“Because I’m curious, duh. I always like to see those missed connection write-ups. Anyway, I hope he gets a gross dick pic, like one covered in warts or something real gnarly like that.”
I laugh. “That is disgusting, but it would also be well deserved.”
“So…are you going to text him?”
“I’m…I’m not sure, Allie. I don’t know if I’m ready.”
“I think you should make him sweat.” She cackles. “It would be hysterical.”
“You’re kind of evil today.”
“Am I? Oops.” Only she doesn’t sound sorry at all. “I shouldn’t be like that to him, though. I mean, hedidjust pay for our honeymoon and all.”
The phone nearly slips out of my hand.
“W-What?”
“I didn’t tell you? Shep is the only reason we were able tohavea honeymoon. He paid for the entire thing and surprised us with plane tickets the week before the wedding. All we had to do was get the days off work. Luckily, our bosses were insanely understanding.”
I hadnoidea Shep did that for them.
“He didn’t mention it at all in the weeks leading up to the big day?”
“Not a peep. I’m kind of…”
“Shocked? Yeah, I was too. I mean, Shep has always been good to me and AJ, but I never expected this. He went all out, too. The only thing we paid for was souvenirs. He thought of everything, even in-flight drinks.”
Allie clears her throat, and I know I’m about to get an earful.
“Listen, Idothink you should make him sweat it out. I think you should make him grovel, but…I also think you should give him a second chance. What he did to Delia was wrong and horrible and I want to kick him square in the nuts for it, but I’ve also known Shep for a lot of years now and I have never seen him be anything but kind. A little egotistical and a bit of a horndog, yes, but never mean for the sake of being mean. He’s a good guy. He’s just a dumbass sometimes.”
I sigh. “I know that. I really do. I just…I want to be sure, you know?”
“You can’t be unless you give him a chance, unless you take that leap.”
“I know,” I say again.
