-5

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-5

2013

It feels strange now as I hold Riley in my arms. We'd been distant for so long, and her running to my arms feels foreign.

I can't help but like it.

"H-he lied about it when I saw it happen right in f-fr-front of me!" Riley bursts into another round of tears.

I pat her head in an awkward manner. "He didn't deserve you," I say. It's true. Nobody deserves Riley, not even myself. This past year while we spent less and less time together due to Riley adjusting to high school, I realized how much Riley actually means to me. She's not just a best friend to me anymore.

By now, her tears have subsided enough that she can form a coherent sentence. "I think I loved him," she whispers.

I feel a stab to my heart and in that moment I mull over why Riley means so much to me. It's because I like her. And as someone who likes their best friend, I need to help her forget about her first heartbreak.

"Netflix and pizza?" I ask to try to cheer her up from her broken mood.

A sort of smile shines through her tears and she nods.

<3 ash | 7.18.16

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