BRUISES

| Twenty-Nine |

Present Day

Vivi—being typical annoying Vivi—sends us the longitude and latitude instead of telling us the location. She insists that since Rubies sent her them, we should all figure it out ourselves.

Clarry texted me on the side and asked me to send her the location once I figured it out because she's lazy to punch it into the GPS. On my laptop, I type the numbers and click enter.

Jefferson Diner.

I laugh because it's right in the middle of town and the most obvious place to go to. I text Clarry where and we all meet up for dinner.

At the entrance, I find all their heads sitting at a table. I went late because the hotel I am staying at is a little bit out of town. I take the empty seat at the end next to Em and greet the girls hello.

All of them are laughing, drinking their beers and talking about Ian's party.

"And she left!" Vivi shouts, shaking her head in disbelief. "I didn't think Heather had the balls to just get up in the middle of the night and walk home."

"And leave your front door unlocked." Jules chimes in and Vivi's eyes widen, nodding her head.

"Exactly. Abuela woke me up and told me this little blonde girl snuck out and she thought she was seeing a ghost." She secretly hits her vape from inside her sleeve. "And I said, abuela, no time for these ghost stories. Then boom, I remembered it was Heather!"

We all laugh and I thank the waitress who places my glass down. We all ordered the same beer in a tall, chilled glass that look like they've been sitting in the freezer for years.

"At least you got something. Brennan passed out the moment we got home." Em adds with a sexually frustrated sigh.

The girls begins talking over each other about their sex life. I sit at the end in utter silence, overhearing Jules talking about sleeping with old classmates as a religion. Penny eyes me from across the table and wiggles her brows.

"How about you, Theo?" She asks seductively. All of a sudden, four heads turn and all of them are staring at me with wide eyes.

"No. Way."

"Fucking Ian!"

"Was he good? I always wondered if he was good."

"Tell us Theo!" Clarry shook my shoulder over Em's back and I raise my hand to quiet them down.

"Okay, okay. Yes, I-I slept with Ian."

"And!" They all snap simultaneously and a group at a booth near us turn.

"It was good, I guess. I was a little drunk."

They all mutter and huff out comments of disappointment. I shrug my shoulders and begin playing with the napkin rolled around a fork and knife.

"Did he cook breakfast at least?" Jules questions and they all get quiet again.

I shake my head, "I left in the morning."

Another group of sighs and disbelief echo among their parted lips. I gaze at each and every one of them until I look at Vivi.

"I guess Heather isn't the only one who runs out on people."

"For real, you two might as well hook up." She grunts and I roll my eyes.

The waitress returns to our table and takes our orders. After handing her the menus, they go back talking about some of our classmates. Silently, I stare off into nothing and think about the morning I left Ian's.