Fall from Love

he’s sweet and fun and smart. And, oh, my God, he loves to cook. On our first few dates he didn’t take me out, he actually cooked for me at his house. No one has ever cooked for me! And now, he’s teaching me to cook. Sure, he says stupid things like epic and wicked, but he’s…” Her voice trails off when she realizes that she’s been gushing. “Oh God, sorry. I shouldn’t be going on and on.”
    “Don’t stop. I want details.”
    “You sure you’re okay?” she asks, her face dripping with pity.
    “Yes,” I say, giving her a pointed look. “Now, don’t make me kick your ass. Continue telling me all about your cute, amazing boyfriend, who loves to cook, says stupid things like epic and wicked, and that you’ve been hiding from me for months.”
    She gives me a playful scowl and then takes a deep breath as she eases back into her chair. I lean back and get comfortable, too; listening as she gushes about the guy she’s been crushing on. It’s really crazy because I’ve never seen her so wrapped up in a guy like this before. Usually, she’s with a guy for a couple weeks, he ends up annoying her, she dumps him and then moves on to the next guy. It pains me to know that she’s had to keep all this bottled up for so long.
    Once she finishes, I can’t help shaking my head and laughing. “Wow, you’ve got it bad, don’t you?”
    She sighs and closes her eyes. “Yeah, I think I do.”
    My heart feels warm, knowing that she is happy and has found someone. “Well, I can’t wait to meet him.”
    Her eyes pop open and she swallows deeply as a worried look crosses her face.
    “What is it?” I ask.
    She takes another sip of her wine and bites her bottom lip, hesitating. “There’s something I have to tell you about him.” She pauses and exhales loudly, refusing to meet my eyes. “Something that I don’t think you’re gonna like.”
    “Okay,” I draw out the word. My mind is moving a mile a minute, trying to figure out what could possibly be so bad. What would cause her to be so nervous?
    “Jenna, come on, tell me.” The look on her face is killing me.
    She takes in a large breath. “He’s… um… he volunteers on the mountain… he’s part of the rescue team.” The last few words that come out of her mouth are barely above a whisper, but I hear them loud and clear.
    My stomach twists and instinctively my arms wrap themselves around my midsection as I squeeze down. It’s something I’ve done over the last few months in order to stop the pain from spreading throughout my body. It never really works, of course, but it’s just become a habit now. A few seconds pass and I release the hold on my stomach, finally feeling like I can breathe again. It’s sad to know that just a few words can still cause such horrible pain.
    “I’m so stupid. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Jenna shakes her head and stares down at the table.
    “Hey,” I say, swallowing the lump that’s rising in my throat. “It’s—it’s fine.”
    “Really? ‘Cause you don’t look fine. You look...” her voice trails off.
    “Really, Jenna. It’s okay.”
    “You sure? ‘Cause I won’t talk about him if it’s gonna hurt you or if you need more time.”
    “Jenna.” My voice is firm and I try my hardest to stretch my lips and form something resembling a smile. “Do you hear yourself? You’re willing to never talk about your boyfriend in front of me because he’s part of the rescue team. Don’t be silly. I’m not that fragile.”
    Deep down I know that I probably am, and every time that she mentions him from now on I’ll think of Adam, but I’m not about to tell Jenna that. I owe her so much and she deserves this. She deserves to meet someone and fall in love. She deserves to be happy.
    “Well, there’s one more thing. I guess I’ll just get it all out now.” She takes in another deep breathe.
    I relax a little, knowing nothing she says can be as bad as what she just told me.
    “He’s friends with Carter,” she finally blurts out.
    Okay, so I was wrong. Things could get worse.
    “Best friends,” she adds.
    Okay, way worse.
    “And they’re roommates.”
    Shit .
    I close my eyes. Why? Why does her boyfriend have to be best friends with a guy that I can’t breathe around? The guy that, with just one look at his face, one word from his lips, makes all the memories I’ve tried to forget come rushing back.
    It’s fine, I tell myself. I can continue to avoid him. Just because Jenna’s