Maybe Someday(101)

I laugh and take a seat next to him. “Figures,

now that I have no roommates to prank.”

He laughs and pats my knee. “Bridgette

doesn’t get off work until midnight. Want to go

catch a movie?”

My head sinks into the back of the couch al-

most as quickly as my heart sinks into my stom-

ach. I hate feeling as if he’s only here because he

feels sorry for me. The last thing I want to be is

someone’s worry.

“Warren, you don’t have to keep coming by

here to check on me every day. I know you’re

trying to be nice, but I’m fine.” He shifts his

weight on the couch so that he’s facing me.

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“I’m not coming by here because I feel sorry

for you, Sydney. You’re my friend. I miss having

you around the apartment. And I might be coming by here because I feel a tad bit remorseful for

treating you like complete shit the night Maggie

was admitted to the hospital.”

I nod. “Yeah. You were quite the * that

night.”

“I know.” He laughs. “Don’t worry, Ridge

hasn’t let me forget it.”

Ridge.

God, even hearing his name hurts.

Warren realizes his slip-up when he sees the

change in my expression. “Shit. Sorry.”

I press my palms into the couch and stand up,

wanting to escape the awkwardness of our con-

versation. It’s really not a subject I need to be

talking about, anyway.

“Well, are you hungry?” I ask as I head to the

kitchen. “I just spent hours slaving over the stove

to make these tacos, so you’d better eat one.”

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Warren laughs, walks into the kitchen with me,

and takes one of the tacos. I unwrap one and lean

against the bar, but before I even bring it to my

mouth, I become too nauseated to eat. In all hon-

esty, I haven’t slept or eaten very much in the six

days since I moved out. I hate knowing that I had

a part in causing so much hurt in another person.

Maggie didn’t do anything to deserve how we

made her feel. It’s also hard as hell not knowing

how things have turned out between the two of

them. I haven’t asked Warren about it for obvi-

ous reasons, because whatever the outcome, it

wouldn’t change things. But now it feels as if I

have this huge, gaping hole in my chest from the

constant curiosity. As much as I’ve wished for

the last three months that Ridge didn’t have a

girlfriend, it’s nothing compared to how much

I’ve hoped she could forgive him.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

I glance up at Warren, who’s leaning against

the counter, watching me think. I shrug my

shoulders and set my uneaten food aside, then

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hug myself and stare down at my feet, afraid that

if I look directly at him, he’ll know what I’m

thinking.

“Look,” he says, dipping his head to try to get

me to look him in the eye. “I know you haven’t

asked about him because you know as well as I

do how much you need to move on. But if you

have questions, I’ll answer them, Sydney. I’ll an-

swer them because you’re my friend, and that’s

what friends do.”

My chest rises with my deep intake of breath,

and before I can fully release it, the question

spills from my mouth. “How is he?”

Warren clenches his jaw, which makes me

think he wishes he hadn’t given me the opening

to ask about Ridge. “He’s okay. He’ll be okay.”

I nod but instantly have a million follow-up

questions to ask.

Did she take him back?

Has he asked about me?

Does he seem happy?

Do you think he regrets me now?

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I decide to take it one question at a time, be-

cause I’m not even sure his answers will be good

for me at this point. I swallow nervously, then

look up at him. “Did she forgive him?”

Warren is the one who can’t hold the eye con-

tact now. He straightens up, turns around with his

back to me, and places his palms flat on the

counter. His head hangs between his shoulders as

he sighs uncomfortably.

“I’m not sure if I should be telling you this.”

He pauses for a moment, then turns back around

to face me. “She did forgive him. From what he

told me, she understood the situation between

you and Ridge. I’m not saying she wasn’t upset

about it at all, but she did forgive him.”

His answer completely slays me. I slap my

hand over my mouth to muffle my cry, and then I

turn away from Warren. I’m confused by my re-

action and confused by my heart. I’m immedi-

ately consumed with relief to know that she for-