Exhausting-2

I wished she were still here.

But she wasn't, and it was painful.

"And if Val was here, she would tell you to break up with Sean, just like I'm telling you to. You know why?" Brian asked, and I looked at him, uncertain why he believed Val would advocate for the same thing he was pushing for.

I shook my head.

"Because you were her best friend—the one she cared about the most. She genuinely looked out for you. Remember when your car broke down in the middle of the night and you were terrified?"

"I do," I replied, recalling that night vividly. It was the first time I had driven a car that far from home, and I was afraid my dad would never let me drive again. The car was one of his prized possessions, and I hadn't even asked for permission. "She was with you at some event when I called her."

"Yeah," Brian agreed. "One of her cousins was getting married. Her mom was pretty mad when she left the ceremony, called a mechanic on the way, picked you up from that terrible place, and stayed