Swoon

by Lauren Rowe

“I’m happy for you.” Caleb’s eyes shift, briefly, to me, and I nod my encouragement. We talked about this six months ago, after all. I told Caleb, in no uncertain terms, he’d never be able to find true love again, never be able to feel true happiness again, frankly, if he didn’t wipe the slate clean with Violet and Dax and admit his contributions to the cluster fuck and forgive. Caleb clears his throat. “I’m happy for you both.” Violet looks shocked. “Thank you.” Caleb shifts his weight. “I came over here to tell you that. Also, to say I know it was wrong of me to expect my band to stand in solidarity with me, when I was the one being an asshole. I was immature and selfish. I felt stabbed in the heart, and I thought stabbing Dax in his heart in return would make me feel better. But it didn’t.” He looks at me again, gets encouragement, and returns to Violet. “Amy told me the expression, ‘When you hold a grudge, it’s like drinking poison and hoping the other guy dies.’

Amy got Caleb in the right mindspace to admit he was an ass