XOXO, Violet by Ginger Li

21Wesley

“Do you mind if we stop by a friend’s place before I drop you home?” I tugged on a sweatshirt and got into the driver’s seat.

After spending the morning surfing, Jay and I had just secured our boards to the top of my car. Any other day, we’d have kept going, chasing wave after wave while leaving our worries on the shore, but the skies had turned gray. Looked like a storm was heading our way.

“Sure, man.” Jay slid into the seat beside me and checked his phone, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I slowly backed out of the parking spot, in no hurry to meet up with Violet.

She and Chase must have finished their date, and now she wanted to talk. I had a sinking feeling it wouldn’t be good news. During a brief break, I’d checked my phone for messages from my sister, and on a whim, I’d checked Instagram.

Worst. Decision. Ever.

There, right at the top of my feed, was a photo of Chase and Violet getting cozy over lunch. My stomach plummeted on seeing them both smiling into the camera. #couplegoals? #firstdateofmany? #mygirl? Their budding relationship couldn’t be more obvious, and all the commenters voiced their support.

It made me sick to my stomach, knowing I was the idiot who’d encouraged this to happen. Instead of holding on to Violet, I’d pushed her into the arms of another guy. A guy who, apparently, now saw her as his girl.

I got onto the freeway, gripping my steering wheel tightly. Truth was, I had no one to blame for this but myself. And now I was heading to Violet’s house, so she could tell me all about her new relationship in person.

Freaking awesome.

Jay glanced up from his phone. “Dude, the speed limit’s sixty-five. Not fifty.”

I tightened my jaw and stepped on the accelerator with a grunt.

“You’re still driving slower than my grandmother.”

“I’m driving the speed limit. I’ve got boards strapped to the top.”

Jay laughed. “Man, I knew that Asher would rub off on you. That guy’s so anal about everything, and now look at you. You drive like a girl.”

I arched a brow at him. “You shouldn’t say stuff like that. What’s that comment even mean anyway?”

“It means you’ve lost your edge.”

“I’ve got to set a good example for Ophelia,” I snapped. “She’ll be driving soon.”

Jay made a big show of checking the back seat. “Well, she’s not here right now.”

Ignoring him, I continued driving. The silence stretched between us, and I grew more uneasy as we took the exit for Violet’s neighborhood.

Jay tapped his foot. “Who are we going to see, anyway? Is it a girl?”

The look on my face must have confirmed his suspicions. “I knew it. Who’s this chick that obviously has you all worked up? Oh wait, let me guess. A swimmer? No. A cheerleader?”

My heart fell. “No, man. You couldn’t be further from the truth. She’s my math tutor.”

“A nerd?” Jay snorted. “So she must be hot, right? I’ve never gone for nerds before, but I’d go out with one if she was good-looking enough.”

Seriously? The guy needed to be more respectful. This was Violet he was talking about. “You can’t go out with her. She’s seeing someone else. But she wants to talk to me briefly.”

Probably to tell me how amazing her date with Chase had been.And how perfect they were for each other. I sighed. Perhaps having Jay with me was a good thing. As irritating as he was, at least I wouldn’t break down in front of him after getting my heart broken.

Jay slapped me on the shoulder. “Sounds like you want to do more than just study with her. Wait—was this the girl you were going to introduce me to? Because I still need a math tutor, and a hot one would be even better. Give me something to look at while I slog through the problems.”

I exploded. “Don’t talk about her like that! She’s different from other girls.”

Jay raised his hands in defeat. “Ok, I got it. Sheesh. No need to get so riled up.” He angled his seat back and put his feet on my dashboard. “What’s her name, anyway?”

“Violet.”

He turned his face toward me. “Violet?”

“Yeah. Her name’s Violet. And she’s not just a tutor. She’s also a popular YouTuber.”

An odd expression crossed his face, and then he tipped his baseball hat forward so it covered his eyes. “For a moment there, I thought I might know her. But the Violet I know would make a horrible YouTuber. She has zero personality. Seriously, the girl’s like a walking disaster.”

Well, that was harsh.

Warning bells rang in my mind, and a sense of dread crept over me as I turned onto Violet’s street.

Yeah. It was probably best that Jay came with me. He might be abrasive, but at least he’d have my back when she broke my heart.