“And to think I’ve lived my whole life without that and have gotten by totally fine.” Frankie looked around. “But she’s not here, so why is that even relevant?”

“It’s relevant because when you’re in a relationship, you try to meet the other person’s needs!” Ezra threw his arms up as if his point were so obvious that he couldn’t believe he had to state it.

“Like I don’t know that,” Frankie said.

“Do you?” Ezra said more loudly, and now she could see this was about significantly more than his stupid girlfriend.

“Of course I do. You know, you don’t know anything about me anymore either.”

“Fine!” Ezra said. “That is actually totally fine! Have you noticed you haven’t heard from me? That, like, I haven’t messaged you on AOL?”

“I’m not even on AOL messenger!” Frankie said, as if that made her side of the argument more potent.

“Jesus Christ,” Ezra yelled, louder than Frankie had ever heard for the whole of their two-year relationship. He really was different; he really had changed. “Why are we still doing this? I have a girlfriend I love, and a job offer in San Francisco—”

“I don’t know, Ezra, why are we still doing this?” Frankie yelled back. “I spent the past ten years of my life in total bliss without you!” This wasn’t true, but Frankie didn’t think Ezra would be any the wiser.

Above them, they heard the window open again, and they both cocked their heads north and quieted. Three books came barreling down, spines open, pages flapping, followed by, “Get a fucking room, lovebirds!” then the window slamming shut.

Frankie pressed herself against the brick facade, but Ezra raised his hands over his head, then realized he was still in the line of fire, when another book—a hardcover, no less—smacked him right in the middle of his shoulder blades, sending him barreling forward and straight into her.

They both froze. Ezra’s hands flattened against the brick wall on both sides of her face, Frankie’s wide eyes matching his right in front of her. She felt his breath on her cheek, and for a moment, they breathed together, and honest to God, Frankie wondered if he were going to kiss her. Or she was going to kiss him. She didn’t know where the instinct came from. It felt animalistic, reckless, totally inappropriate, and yet it rose up in her all the same.

After a beat or two, Ezra broke the spell and gingerly eased a step back.

“You know what, Frankie? This isn’t working. I don’t know what happened last night. I don’t care that my grandmother’s ring is tethered to your finger. I don’t know if we’re married, and I don’t know where our phones are, and I don’t know if we slept together—though I pray we did not.” He took a slow breath, and she narrowed her eyes at him. “But what I do know is that this is a waste of my time. I’ve grown up enough to know that. I have to go find Mimi. I have to go clean up. I have a million better things to do than stand here relitigating my past with a girl who never wanted to be a part of my future.”