More Than Sorry

10: He Faces Her Friend

Oh, is that all? Wow, she's about to be disappointed. Bet she's going to love all those fishing memes I send to my dad.

Andie's eyebrows suddenly quirk up, and she looks up at me like I'm deranged. "Why the fuck do you have all these pictures of bread?"

My face flames. Shit. I forgot about that. "I've ah... well... I've been teaching myself how to bake sourdough. The first few loaves were a write-off, but the last couple have been pretty damn good."

She's still staring at me like I'm nuts. "You know you can just buy bread, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

I keep the rest of my stupid plan to myself. Right after Eden left, I got this idea in my head that if she ever gives me a second chance, I want to cook her dinner. Something special.

Eden loves Italian food, so over the last few weeks, I've blown off almost everyone except my parents to spend my spare time perfecting a menu—a salad, bread, lasagne, and dessert. Everything homemade. The tiramisu needs some work because I dug my heels in like a stubborn ass and decided even the savoiardi has to be made from scratch instead of using store-bought. But everything else is pretty good.

Mum is invested in this dinner almost as much as me. She gets a real kick out of those photos.

"This photo album with the love heart symbol." Andie holds up my phone and turns the screen so I can see where she's pointing. "I can't get in this album."

"Yeah, it's... um... password protected."

"Why?"

"It's private." When Andie's face reddens with anger, probably assuming the worst of me, I struggle to quickly explain, "Eden sometimes sent me... you know... umm... photos... of herself... when I was working late."

"Unlock it." Andie holds out the phone.

I shake my head. Non-negotiable. If this is the hill I die on, so be it. I will never betray Eden's trust. "No. Those photos are private. Eden wouldn't want anyone else to see them. Not even her best friend. I'm sorry, but I'm not unlocking it."

Andie's eyes narrow on me. "You two aren't together anymore. You haven't been for weeks. You need to delete everything in that album."

Andie holds out my phone again. I take it from her, the screen shaking under my trembling palm. My heart is in my throat. I haven't looked at the photos since Eden left—not even once—but I don't want to erase a single memory of her that I can still cling to.

Do I even have a choice here?

I sigh. My finger slides across the screen, and in an instant, the album is gone. Everything suddenly feels so heavy. Another piece of Eden is lost from my life forever.

After Andie's satisfied the photos are in oblivion, there's silence in the laundry room. I count the beats of the music faintly pulsing from the other room.

Eventually, Andie speaks again.

"For what it's worth, I believe you when you say you didn't cheat on Eden. But I will never tell Eden that she should take you back, Zach. Not ever."

Andie's icy words hit hard. Not ever. All the air whooshes from my lungs. To know, without doubt, that Eden's best friend will never accept me is a blow I'm not ready for.

"Fuck, Andie, that's cold," I choke out.

"That's cold? How about all the times you missed Friday night drinks? Or the time you couldn't make it to the picnic Eden planned for weeks? Or the time you nearly missed Yvette's birthday lunch? You never make time for the things that are important to Eden."

Andie pauses, waiting for me to deny all the times I let Eden down. I can't. She's right.

Andie continues by digging the knife right in to say, "What about how Eden had to run around to your work for dinner because, otherwise, she would never see you? How many times did you bring her dinner?"

"I can't always control my work—"

Andie barks out a short laugh. "Yeah, your work. We all know about your fucked up priorities. How far down your list is Eden, exactly?"

"Eden's number one," I bite back. "Always."

Andie shakes her head, hands going to her hips and eyes on me, furious. "Maybe right now, she is. You lost her, so you're panicking, pulling out all the stops to win her back. But how long until it goes back to how it was?"

"It will never be like it was before. I understand now—"

"Zach, that is such bullshit, and you know it. Maybe everything will be great for a week. Maybe even for a month. But eventually, I know Eden will be calling me, crying her eyes out like she did a hundred other times because she's always last on your list. I can't watch my best friend lose everything. I won't." Andie pauses to take a shaky breath, chest heaving. She lets out a bitter laugh. "The woman Eden thought you were screwing around with still messages you nearly every day. And why? 'Cause... work. Michaela tried to grab your junk and you stand there and tell me it's all fine. Fuck that."

"Andie, I—"

"Zach, I know you're not a bad person. After today, I actually think you're pretty okay." She flashes me the faintest smile. "But work will always be your number one, and I'm sorry, but Eden deserves better than that."

I say nothing. Not when Andie sighs. Not when she leaves. There's no point fighting.

Andie's right. About everything.