Chapter 7

“Valentine’s Day fell right before winter break. I gave the card to Randy…and he didn’t speak to me for four years.”

“Oh. I’m sorry that happened.” She brushed Billy’s cheek when he came to a stop right in front of her. “But I’m not sure a childhood crush—”

“The summer of that fourth year, and the next four that followed, we gave each other blowjobs all through vacation bible school.”

“Oh.”

“After graduation, he never spoke to me again.”

Of all the things Erika was thinking, she said, “Your mother is awesome.”

“No argument here.”

Billy was quiet then, but he still had a stranglehold on his towel.

“Keep going,” Erika said.

“It hurt me to see Randy every day and not be friends. I hated that we were…”

“Estranged?”