How do you spot a girl who just survived a bad break-up? Watch for rash decisions. Sometimes, getting a new haircut or screwing a rebound guy from the bar will change a girl’s outlook on life. It was a danger we’d all faced, and Cassie was in full-on, post-break-up thinking. She’d stopped crying long enough to hatch a completely ridiculous plan to make herself feel better. Unfortunately, said plan involved me and my passport.

“It’ll be epic,” she promised me.

“Absolutely not,” I repeated as I filled a glass with water for her. There was nothing worse than a crying hangover.

She held the water without drinking it, her fingernails tapping on the glass. She’d borrowed a pair of pajama pants and a tank top to get out of last night’s clothes. Or as she called them ‘the outfit she wore on the worst day of her life.’ I hadn’t seen her this dressed down all semester. But even though it was almost 10 a.m., her eyes were circled and puffy with dried tears. She hadn’t cried in the last hour, but it was only a matter of time.

“You have something better going on for Christmas break?” she asked.

She had me there. Most of my plans for this break involved the television and a few books. I wasn’t even going to bother heading home to Oregon. My sister would be in Seattle, too busy working to take off the holidays, and my mom had a new boyfriend. It was clear from my conversations with her that they were still in the honeymoon phase of the relationship, which meant it would be absolutely sickening to be around them. Right now, romance was the last spectacle I needed to suffer, and with Brett going home to Indiana, I’d have space to think about things. I’d even promised Jillian she could drive my car down to California to ensure a quiet apartment over break. I was staying in Olympic Falls for the next four weeks and nothing Cassie could say was going to convince me otherwise.

“You have to come. I need to get the fuck out of here,” Cassie said, her words pitching up an octave to a full-blown whine.

“What about Texas?” I asked her. “Don’t you want to see your family?”

“My parents are taking my sisters to Nashville for Christmas this year.” Cassie planted her hands on her hips and shook her head with disgust. “Texas I can handle, but Christmas at the Grand Ole Opry might kill me in my current condition. You do know that every single country song is about breaking up with someone or falling in love. It would be torture. Plus, they already booked their trip. I’d mess everything up. But we could go somewhere.”

Cassie wasn’t as badass as she let on. She spent most holiday breaks at home with her family, and I suspected her hesitance to return to Texas this year didn’t actually hinge on Dolly Parton covers. I kept this thought to myself. “I really can’t go anywhere.”

“We aren’t going just anywhere.” Cassie’s refusal to accept reality was more annoying than endearing.

“Where are you going?” Jillian asked as she dropped a duffel bag on the living room floor. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and she was rocking a soft, draping sweater. She looked too pulled together for the little bit of sleep we’d gotten last night.

“You look hot,” I said with a fair amount of envy. “Have you discovered some type of magic potion that reduces your need for sleep?”

“Hours and hours of amazing sex,” she said with a wink, but the smile immediately slid from her face. “Oh my god, Cassie. I’m sorry. That…”

“Don’t apologize for nailing a good guy,” Cassie said, waving off Jillian’s faux pas.

“It was still a shitty thing to brag about.” Jillian wrapped an arm around Cassie’s waist and pulled her close. “Forgive me for being a jerk?”

“Absolutely.” Cassie’s head fell against Jillian’s but a second later she turned her attention back to me. “Me and Jess are going to get out of Olympic Falls.”

“That’s an excellent idea! You can come to California.” Jillian did an amazing job of making this sound like a tempting offer, but both Cassie and I knew that she was dreading returning home for the holidays, even with her Scottish hottie by her side.

“I don’t think I could put up with Tara’s bullshit right now,” Cassie said.

“Fair enough. I can’t deal with my mother’s bullshit daily.” Jillian plopped onto a barstool. She wasn’t going to pressure anyone to spend the holidays with her family. “Then where are you going?”

We both answered at the same time.

“Mexico.”

“Nowhere.”

“We aren’t going to Mexico!” I insisted. I didn’t want to burst Cassie’s bubble, but there was no way that I could afford Mexico nor did I really feel like traveling. All I wanted was some time in an empty apartment—alone.

“I’ll be gone for at least a week. Unless I have to escape, but Liam says we’re staying through Christmas,” Jillian said. “You could stay in my room while I’m gone.”

I made a mental note to remind Jillian to discuss it with me before she volunteered our apartment as a hotel. Having Cassie here would put a kink in my plans, but if she needed to crash here, I’d live.

“And listen to Brett and Jess make sweet love all break?” Cassie retorted. “I don’t think so.”

“Brett’s going home for break,” I said.

Jillian’s eyes narrowed as she studied my face. “You don’t sound all that broken up about it.”

I wasn’t, but I didn’t want to admit that right now. The last thing I needed to do was rub Brett's proposal in Cassie's face. Besides, it wasn’t like we were usually attached at the hip. “He’s seeing his family. That’s a healthy thing for him.”

“And he’s not taking you?” Cassie asked. “Trevor never introduced me to his family. I should have known that something was”—

“I don’t want to go to Indiana with him,” I cut her off. “This semester was difficult, and I’m not caught up on any of my shows.”

“Your shows?” Jillian repeated, not bothering to hide her laughter. “Are you a sixty-year-old woman? Gonna do some Sudoku and start adopting cats?”

I swatted her with my free hand. “Don’t be a bitch.”

“Don’t be a sixty-year-old woman!” Jillian laughed again and bounded back into her room to finish packing.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I took it out in time to see a text message from Brett flash across the screen.

BRETT: Change of plans. I’m staying with you over break. I can’t go home until we’ve talked.

I shoved my phone back in my pocket and tried to look normal. Brett not going home was a bad thing. If he stuck around, he’d keep bringing up marriage until he wore me down. I wasn’t going to say yes just to get him to shut up. But I knew what would happen if I told him I didn’t want him to stay.

My relationship was doomed. That was becoming clearer with each minute that passed. It wasn’t fair to let him think there was a chance. But breaking up with him right before Christmas? That was a bitch move. Suddenly, it felt like all the air in the apartment had evaporated and I couldn’t breathe. Even staying in Washington felt impossible.

“Are you okay?” Cassie asked, eying me with suspicion.

“I’m fine,” I said, trying to sound like I was telling the truth. The fact was that I was far from okay. “I just decided to go to Mexico with you.”