He Always Chose I Best Friend,Until The Day I Stopped Waiting

I shared everything with my best friend. Including my boyfriend's affection for me.

When Miles Simmons bought me a gift, there was always a second one for Lesley Chavez.

When he helped me put together a proposal, my name went first. Lesley's came second.

Even the trips we carefully planned, we always booked the buy-two-get-one-free package. Wherever we went, we brought Lesley along.

I used to think what I was sharing was just an overflow of Miles's love for me, spilling onto the people close to him.

But after I watched the crab meat I'd picked clean for Miles end up in Lesley's bowl.

All of it suddenly felt pointless.

Sharing everything with Lesley was a habit I'd had since I was five.

But if what she wanted was my boyfriend, all to herself.

Then I no longer had to keep my distance from that senior she'd been crushing on for years.

……

Two bites and Lesley had finished off the crab meat.

Miles even turned to me for credit. "I saw her watching you the whole time you were picking that crab apart."

Lesley huffed. "If you weren't here being a third wheel, Georgia Swanson would've just picked it for me herself. Who needed you to pass it over?"

I pressed my lips together and said nothing.

The two of them had already moved on to where they'd go watch the boat races over the holiday weekend.

"There'll definitely be a crowd that day. Miles, get up early and grab a spot."

"And find somewhere with some shade. Georgia hates the heat."

Lesley dictated my preferences the way she always did.

Miles noted each one. "Got it. And that trendy restaurant Georgia sent you—if we're eating there that day, I'll go book it today."

Every sentence the two of them spoke was about me.

Yet neither of them turned their head to ask what I actually wanted.

"For the holiday weekend, I want to go back home," I said.

At the sound of my voice, they both froze.

Miles set down his chopsticks. "Everything was fine. Why are you changing your mind again?"

"Weren't you the one who told Lesley you wanted to hit up that trendy restaurant over the weekend?"

A bitterness rose in my throat.

Yes. I did want to go to that restaurant.

Just not with the three of us.

Not like this, with me in the middle, where even my breathing felt like one thing too many.

I was about to explain, but Miles had already stood up to settle the bill.

He took my membership card—and used it at the front counter to redeem the collectible mystery box Lesley had been wanting all along.

I'd been staring at that bracelet in the corner. The points I'd been saving for so long were finally enough today.

Miles knew that too.

But he came back and handed the mystery box to Lesley, with one airy little line.

"We come here to eat all the time anyway. You can swap for your bracelet some other time."

We stepped out of the restaurant, and the rain came down out of nowhere.

Miles gave the umbrella to Lesley.

He pulled off his jacket and draped it over my head, wrapping an arm around me as we ran toward the car.

The cold rain pelted my body, and I was shivering with it.

But Miles was still laughing.

"Georgia, doesn't this feel just like that line everyone posts online? If two people walk through the rain together, they're meant to grow old together too?"

I was on my period, my lower belly cramping in waves, my face white with the pain.

Miles didn't notice at all.

We got in the car, and Lesley climbed into the back seat the way she always did, leaving the passenger seat for me.

She'd always had a good sense of boundaries about that.

But she spoke up soon enough.

"Georgia, there's a towel in the car. Hurry and dry yourself off."

I paused, then opened the center console. At some point someone had put a towel, a blanket, and hand warmers inside.

Lesley leaned forward, adjusted the air conditioning with practiced ease, and tucked the blanket over me.

A little warmth seeped into me. But inside, I had gone hollow.

"These things—when did they get put in the car?"

Miles's tone was easy. "Last time I took Lesley to pick out your birthday gift, she said you get cold easily, so I grabbed them while we were at it."

But this was something I had said. Many times.