the corner of Joshua's room, watching the video game that Joshua and Dior were playing.

His fingers were absentmindedly tapping the screen of the cell phone resting on his lap while his friends were talking about his birthday tomorrow.

"If we threw a party, I think it should be here. I can get Caleb to get some of his college friends to come through with bottles and stuff." Joshua was saying.

Jalen rolled his eyes and rubbed his forehead at the topic.

Jalen didn't want to celebrate his birthday, in fact he was more than willing to let it pass without so much as an Instagram post.

He leaned down slightly to pick up his water bottle and began to chug when a call came through on his phone.

Noelani's contact had lit up his screen causing Jalen to choke on his water in surprise.

"Aye, you good?" Dior called to him, not moving his eyes off of the video game, "Cause I don't know how to do the heimlich or nothing so if you're choking you're on your own."

Jalen rolled his eyes as he answered the phone and coughed.

"Baby?" Jalen coughed again, "I mean... Noelani? Did you mean to call me?"

Joshua and Dior both turned to Jalen at the sound of her name.

"I thought y'all broke up." Dior said.

Joshua elbowed him, "They did."

"Yeah, I did..." Noelani mumbled, "I realized that I never really gave you a chance to explain yourself so... Maybe you should start."

Jalen was speechless as Noelani continued to speak, "I think I need closure and the only way I'm gonna get it is if we talk about what happened."

Jalen got up and left the room to stand in the hallway, "You know I wish we that could have this conversation face to face."

She was silent for a moment, "I had to leave, Jalen. I had to go home. Being around you... After what you did was killing me.

"I know. I understand. Okay, first you have to understand that when I made that bet was made, we didn't know each other. I didn't know that I was gonna love you." As Jalen spoke, he walked down the stairs until he was in the empty living room.

"Jalen... Please stop saying that you love me when you don't mean it. The bet is over, you won remember? You don't have to keep lying to me." Noelani mumbled again.

"But I do. I do love you. I've never loved anyone else. Please believe me," Jalen pleaded.

"I want to Jalen. Believe me, I do, I just... You really fucked my head up with this bet shit," Jalen leaned into the back of the tawny colored couch.

Noelani was quiet after her words, so Jalen bit his bottom lip before retorting, "Did you mean what you said about Nimari?"

"What'd I say about Nimari?"

"That you wish that you had chosen him instead of me." Jalen muttered.

Noelani was quiet again, "I just wanted to hurt you like you hurt me. I didn't mean it. I need to know... At what point did our relationship become real to you?"

Jalen licked his bottom lip in annoyance at the sound of feet beating against the staircase.

Joshua and Dior came downstairs and Dior raised his eyebrows, "What's she saying?" He whispered loudly.

"Is that Dior?" Noelani asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I'm at Josh's house."

"Oh, tell them I said hi."

"Okay," Jalen got up and walked outside to Joshua's backyard, "As for our relationship, it's always been real even when I was too stupid to act like it was. If I could take it all back, I would, I swear."

The air was a little humid, warm enough for Jalen to be outside in a short sleeve and no jacket.

"Are you outside right now?" Noelani asked suddenly.

"Yeah. Why?" Jalen inquired.

"Okay. Look up at the stars. You see the one that kinda looks like a horse, bear type thingy?" Jalen tipped his head back to gaze up at the dark sky, trying to find the constellation she was talking about.

Once he had, he nodded to himself, "Yeah, I see it."

"We're looking at the same stars right now. It kinda reminds me of San Fr-."

"San Francisco. Yeah, I remember." Jalen grinned at the memory then the smile faded a little, "I miss you. I miss us."

"Jalen..." She started to say.

"You don't miss us? Not even a little?" Jalen asked lowly.

Noelani sighed, "Listen, I would be lying if I said that I didn't miss you. And of course I still love you dumb ass, that doesn't just go away. But I would also be lying if I said I was over the bet. You are the first guy I have ever loved romantically and I had to learn that most of it was fake."

Jalen started to speak but Noelani interrupted him, "And I know. I know that you're sorry and I know that you think that you love me. The flowers showed me that. I'm just... Trying to forgive you is easier than I thought but trusting you again isn't."

"I do love you," Jalen blurted, "I mean it and I've meant it every time that I've said it. I know I broke your trust and I'll do whatever it takes, whatever you want me to do just say it baby, for real."

"Even if it means starting over slowly? Being just my friend for right now?" Noelani asked.

"I said anything and I meant anything." Jalen affirmed, "I can be just friends if that's what you need."

"I... I appreciate you saying that." Noelani responded.

Jalen looked up at the sky again, "Look up at the sky."

"I'm looking."

"You see uh, Altair and Vega forming the Summer Triangle?" Jalen asked.

"You know that story? You've looked up stars?" Noelani's tone of voice was pleasantly surprised.

"I wanted to show you up, at least once. You see them?" Jalen asked again.

"Yeah, kid. I see them." Jalen's grin grew wider at her calling him kid. "It's pretty bright tonight, huh?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it is." There was a muffled voice speaking on her line and Noelani let out an audible sigh, "Listen, I gotta go. Nalani wants to go night surfing and they need me to watch her."

"Oh, okay. Um, would it be okay if I called you tomorrow? Just to talk? Catch up?" Jalen questioned.

"Yeah, I would like that." Noelani responded, "I'd really like that. I'll talk to you tomorrow, kid."

Then she hung up the phone without another word.

Jalen walked back into the house, causing Joshua to give him a questioning look, "What's with the big ass smile?"

"I can't be happy?" Jalen asked.

"No." Dior deadpanned.

Jalen rolled his eyes, "Man, find y'all some business."

"I hate couples." Joshua grumbled as the trio headed back upstairs to his room.

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