“Uh huh.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
I glare at them in turn. “I thought you two invited me over to cheer me up, not to judge my boyfriend’s sexual preferences.”
“Sorry! Honestly. We aren’t trying to be judgmental. We just don’t understand…why?”
“Does he have… you know… some sort ofproblem?” Odette asks. “Anatomically?”
“No. Not that I’m aware of.” I shrug. “He’s from the south. He was raised in the Bible Belt. He’s religious.”
“Religious.Oh. So his problems are psychological.”
“Ophelia!” Odette glances at me. “She didn’t mean that.”
“I did, actually,” her twin mutters.
I can’t help laughing. “Really, I’m fine with it. The one and only time I had sex didn’t exactly go well, remember? I’m not in a rush to replicate those results.”
Odette purses her lips. “Archer really did a number on you, huh?”
“He did totally ghost her, after she’d spent, like, her entire life in love with him.”
“Ophelia,” Odette hisses again. “That wasn’t very sensitive.”
“So? It’s the truth.” Ophelia glances at me. “No offense, Jo.”
“It’s fine.” I shake my head at the ridiculousness of this situation. “You guys did warn me, after all.”
“We did?”
“Yep. Back at Exeter, on graduation day. You told me Archer’s disappearing act was because he might not feel the same, after we slept together.”
Ophelia blinks slowly, pushing her frame upright. “Wait. That was on graduation day? The day he ghosted?”
I nod.
“Are you sure?”
“Tough to forget the day you had your heart ripped out of your chest. Especially when that same day, you’re forced to get up on stage and give a speech about conquering the future and fulfilling your life’s potential.” I pause a beat. “Why do you ask?”
They trade a loaded glance. “The timing of it all…”
“It’s just…”
“Justwhat?” I ask, feeling my blood pressure skyrocket. “What aren’t you saying?”
“Graduation day,” Odette murmurs, looking at her twin strangely. “Isn’t that the same day…”
Ophelia nods. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”
“Guys.” My teeth are suddenly grinding together as tension ripples through me. “Explain. Please.”
They look at me with the same expression — sympathy mixed with a strange hesitation I can’t interpret. “We didn’t realize…”
“You must not know about the accident.”
“What accident?” I ask.