When Nothing Else Matters (Heartstrings, #1)

by Katherine Jay

“Gemma and I broke up,” I say as he watches the game. His eyes move to mine briefly in acknowledgment and then he turns back to the screen. “Okay. Why?” he asks but he’s not really focused on me. “A few reasons. One being that she gave me an ultimatum…” I tell him most of the story, and by the time I pause, he’s staring at me in shock. “I think I’m confused,” he says, now giving me his full attention. “Gemma told you to choose between her and Summer, and you chose Summer.” His brows furrow in complete confusion. “Kind of,” I lie. We broke up after having that exact conversation, but I’d driven to her door ready to break things off before she hit me with the ultimatum. Turns out, Summer and I weren’t the only ones that felt the change in our relationship. When those words had left her mouth, I felt sick. Gemma didn’t deserve any of this. Taking a deep breath, I’d remained calm despite Gemma being obviously pissed at me. She has every right to be annoyed that I broke up with her, but telling me to choose? Come on, that’s not right. I shake off my thoughts and look back at Joel. “Okay, so you chose Summer. Why?” Joel prods for information. “I didn’t exactly choose Summer; I was already planning to break up with her when she threw that at me,” I try to explain without actually being honest. Joel squints at me in thought. “But you would have, right? You know Summer isn’t actually your best friend,” he states, and while it’s valid, it’s not the point. “I know that, but Gem...