Heart at War // JJ Maybank

22

Lena Boggs

          August 1st came around much quicker than I would have liked. I was still recovering from my goodbye with JJ but Ayden, Kie, and Sarah made it much easier by distracting me. I figured I would give JJ and myself some time apart, I felt like seeing each other so soon would be like adding salt into a wound. I let JJ spend his time with John B and Pope, even though it made me sad to not be able to hang out all as a group as we have always done every summer.

It was hard... But as each day passed, slowly it got easier. Ayden played the biggest role in that, which I wasn't sure how to feel about.

Sarah's all for the idea of Ayden and me, she's the one constantly telling me that I needed to give another guy a chance especially now that JJ and I had called it off.

Kiara was a different story. When she first found out that JJ and I had agreed to stay friends and only friends, she was surprisingly against the idea.

"L, you're being stupid... You both are. Don't you guys see how good you two would be together?" She told me. I found it irritating that she was making my move on from JJ harder, placing doubts in my mind, and making me wonder if it was the right thing to do... But at the end of the day, I knew she was just trying to be a good friend.

"Yeah, Logan I'll see you there next week." My Mom says as she speaks into her phone, I lean against the doorframe staring at her. She gives me a small smile once she notices me.

"I'll ask her if she wants to come, Logan." My Mom frowns as she looks over at me and sees me roll my eyes. "Bye." She presses the end call button before putting her phone on the counter.

"I'm meeting your father for lunch next week... He wants you to come as well." She tells me, to which I just roll my eyes and make my way towards the fridge. "I'd rather not, thanks." I deny, pulling out my Pepsi bottle and unscrewing the cap.

"I don't even know how you're being so... So normal with him. It's only been like, what... A month and some?" I groan before taking a sip of my drink. My Mom leans her side against the counter, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Holding a grudge does no one any good, honey." I laugh sarcastically. "I think when they cheat on the woman they took vows with, there is an exception." I argued, slamming my drink onto the counter.

My Mom frowns before waving me off. "I don't want to get into this again, Lena. I'm sorry." She disregards, turning and making her way towards the doorway to leave the kitchen. Guilt washes over me, as I inhale deeply.

"Wait, Mom..." I call after her, she looks over her shoulder at me. "Are you busy today?" She turns back to face me fully, shaking her head. "No, why hun?"

I grin. "Do you want to have a girl's day?"

          "So my love," My Mom places her elbows on the table and rests her chin on her hands as we wait for our food to come out, "Why the sudden need for a girl's day?" She looks at me suspiciously.

I sip my straw, an innocent look in my eyes as I smile at her. "What makes you think there's a reason? Maybe I just want to spend time with my amazing Mother whom I adore."

She tilts her head down and stares at me through her eyelashes giving me a look that said, don't bullshit me Lena Boggs that every daughter knows all too well.

"I told JJ I'm in love with him," I confessed, my voice low in a mutter as I flash her a guilty snap. "You told JJ you love him?"

I huff air out of my nose. "Not just that I love him, Mom! That I'm in love with him," I frown at her. "Jeez woman, keep up." I joke, playfully giving her a sad smile.