10
Jake watched Alyssa walk away. He wanted to ask Tina what she said, but he couldn’t get in everyone’s face when they hurt Alyssa’s feelings. His eyes stayed on her until her slumped shoulders shook, telling him she was crying, and then she walked faster, disappearing behind the vines.
“Don’t Jake,” Lana said softly. “She’s not your responsibility anymore.”
Jake pulled in a breath and let it out slowly. He knew Lana was worried about him, but he didn’t need anyone telling him how to live his life.
“No one else cares. Her own grandmother was the one who said something that upset her. She’s all alone here.”
“And you want to be there for her?”
Jake shrugged. “We can be friends.”
Lana shook her head. “No, you can’t. Men and women who date cannot be friends. Especially when one of them
