She Thought Her Childhood Best Friend Had Chosen Another Girl — So She Walked Away Before He Could Tell Her the Truth
Chapter 6
That afternoon, the families went boating.
Claire and Ryan were paired together because everyone assumed they still knew how to work as a team.
At first, neither spoke.
Then Ryan said:
“You know, you’re terrible at rowing.”
She looked offended.
“Excuse me?”
“You keep going in circles.”
“Because you’re giving bad directions.”
“I’m an excellent navigator.”
“You’re impossible.”
He smiled.
There it was.
The old Ryan.
The one she had known forever.
Claire couldn’t help smiling back.
They laughed.
The tension slowly disappeared.
Later, they sat near the water while everyone else played volleyball.
Ryan looked at her.
“I missed you.”
“You saw me every day.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Claire looked down.
“I missed you too.”
He smiled.
Then he became serious.
“Why did you walk home alone?”
“Because I was embarrassed.”
“By what?”
“By how much it bothered me.”
He looked at her.
“What?”
“Seeing her with you.”
Ryan’s heartbeat quickened.
“Claire.”
She shook her head.
“I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No.”
He moved closer.
“You should have.”
She looked at him.
Neither spoke.
Then Ryan whispered:
“There’s a reason I rejected Natalie.”
Claire’s breath caught.
“Why?”
“Because there has been someone else for a very long time.”
He didn’t say her name.
He didn’t have to.
She already knew.
