What Happens Abroad Read Free Page B

nearby.”
    Joelle nodded, inhaling her food. “Leather, jewelry, all kinds of great stuff. You should come with us tomorrow.”
    I grinned. “I think that’s a good idea. Maybe I won’t get lost then!”
    â€œSafety in numbers! Right, Sarah?” Joelle said, and smiled.
    Sarah took a sip of her wine. “As long as there aren’t any boys.”
    Joelle sighed. “You
will
get over him eventually.”
    Sarah and I had talked a little bit about the guy she’d met, but I didn’t know a lot of the details. “So what happened?”
    She bit her lip. “Basically, I accused him of robbing me and kicked him out.”
    I sat back in my chair, stunned. “Seriously? Good for you!”
    She shook her head. “But then I found the money that was missing once he was gone.”
    Joelle refilled our wineglasses. “We all make mistakes, sweetie, and maybe that mistake just meant that he wasn’t the right one for you.”
    I thought back to Hunter. “Some mistakes are hard to let go of.” I took another sip of my wine. It was tangy and sharp and perfect with the spaghetti, although we’d polished off most of the food and were just left with the pastries.
    Sarah squeezed my hand. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”
    I shrugged. “I got drunk, lost my virginity to a stranger, and then threw up in front of him. Not the best set of choices I’ve ever made!”
    Joelle drained her glass. “That’s nothing. At least you didn’t get trashed and make out with a girl at your brother’s wedding.”
    Sarah and I stared at her, openmouthed. “Seriously?”
    Joelle shrugged, looking embarrassed. “Yeah. Something like that.”
    â€œOh.” I cleared my throat. “Did you—did she—”
    â€œDid you love her?” Sarah cut to the heart of the matter.
    Joelle fiddled with her empty glass. “I barely knew her. But kissing her felt right; righter than with anyone else I’ve ever kissed.”
    Did that make her a lesbian?
I wondered how to ask my question, but Sarah beat me to it. “So you think maybe you’re bisexual? Or gay?”
    Joelle nodded. “Bi.” She exhaled. “That doesn’t get easier to say; you guys are only the second people I’ve told.”
    I wasn’t sure what to say, but Sarah leaned over and squeezed Joelle’s hand. “I’m glad you trust us.”
    I nodded. “Do you think you two will keep in touch?”
    Tears filled Joelle’s eyes, and she shook her head. “She was ready for the real thing,” she said softly, “but I was too scared of what my parents would say. And it’s not like a long-distance relationship would make things any easier.” After a moment of uncomfortable silence, she looked up. “Can we drop it?”
    I nodded. “Sure. But if you want to talk,” I glanced at Sarah, “if either of you want to talk, well, we shouldn’t be afraid to say what’s on our minds.”
    Sarah beamed. “You guys are the best.”
    â€œNow, who wants dessert?” Joelle’s jaw was set as she handed out the pastries, and I wondered if she’d regretted her admission. Sarah and I had both spilled some pretty personal stuff at the dinner table, but somehow, what Joelle said felt more intimate. Still, the conversation didn’t veer back to our love lives again, and I for one was grateful. Thinking about Hunter had opened up a dark spot inside me, and between the wine, my earlier bad mood, and the memories of our night together that were still surfacing in my mind, I was feeling awful again by the time we polished off the wine.
    Sarah and Joelle insisted on cleaning up, since I’d cooked. I could have stayed in the kitchen with them and chatted, but instead, I gave in to my melancholy and shut myself up in my room. I was tired, and I was selfishly grateful to