The Last Lesson Was Losing Me Chapter 2

Emily blinked. "I always crank the AC all the way down. Dustin was worried I'd catch a cold, so he insisted on buying me this blanket."

I'd ridden in his car once with a low fever. My lips had gone pale from the cold, and I begged him to turn the AC up.

He kept his eyes on the road and said flatly, "You'll get used to the cold. Don't be such a baby."

I reached for the blanket, but Dustin pushed Emily's hand back down.

"Keep it. If you give it to her, what are you going to cover up with?"

Emily pouted. "I'm not cold."

"Just keep it. You're on your period. If you get too cold, your cramps will get worse, and you'll keep me up again tonight. She can just put on a jacket. Don't worry about her."

I pulled my hand back and dug my fingertips into my palm until it stung.

Then, as if by magic, Dustin pulled a big bag of snacks from the center console. They were all Emily's favorites.

Emily let out a delighted cheer, grabbed a chip, and held it to Dustin's lips. "This new flavor is so good. Try it, Dustin."

Dustin was a total clean freak who couldn't stand the smell of food in his car.

Once, my blood sugar dropped while I was riding with him, so I ate a saltine. Looking annoyed, he pulled over and made me get out. He wouldn't let me back in until I'd cleaned every crumb off the floor mat.

But now he turned toward Emily and took the chip right from her hand.

"Mmm, that's good."

The line at the theme park entrance was already long.

After ten minutes in her three-inch heels, Emily started frowning. "Dustin, my ankles hurt."

Dustin turned to me. "Sharon, hold our place. Emily's feet hurt, so I'm taking her to sit in the shade for a bit. Call us when you get to the front."

I didn't move. All those late nights studying had left my lower back badly strained.

"My back hurts."

Impatience flickered in Dustin's eyes. "You can sit in the library all day just fine, but now your back hurts after a few minutes on your feet?"

He sighed and looked at me like I was a kid making a fuss over nothing. "Quit using your back as an excuse. Emily's wearing heels and you're in flats. What's wrong with standing in line for her?"

He ignored me, took Emily's hand, and led her to a bench in the shade. Then he crouched down, propped her ankle on his knee, and gently massaged it.

Sweat ran down my forehead and into my eyes, stinging.

Half an hour later, I was parched, so I texted Dustin. "Can you get me a bottle of water?"

Two minutes later, my screen lit up.

"No, I'm not buying you one. Emily's on her period, and if she sees you with something cold to drink, she'll want some too. Just wait until we get inside."

My fingers started trembling despite myself.

Just then, the little girl in front of me turned and held out an ice-cold bottle of water. "You don't look so good. Have some water."

I managed a smile. "Thank you."

Even a stranger could be kind to me.

40 minutes later, I finally reached the front.

I texted Dustin. "It's our turn. Come back."

One minute passed, then two, but he still didn't reply.

The attendant impatiently urged me forward, so I called Dustin. The phone rang and rang before he finally picked up.

"Hello?"

"It's our turn. Where are you?"

He paused.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Emily's on her period, so she can't go on most of the thrill rides. She didn't think it was worth it, so we got a refund and went to the aquarium instead."

Then he hung up.

Everyone around me had someone beside them, smiling and laughing. I stood alone, drenched in sweat, my lower back in agony.

I opened my email and accepted the job offer in Harborcrest.

I'd planned on grad school so I could stay here, close to Dustin. But now I no longer needed to.

I turned around and took a cab home alone.