“Brooke, you need to do something about Wade.” Noah frowned as he sat down on the soft leather sofa. I joined him, but I sat on the arm and lifted my legs onto the seat.
“All I can do is complain.” I would have loved to do more, but he’d just set me up for another disastrous day. In truth, it was the car company who was to blame. They should never have given me a faulty car.
“You could have had a serious accident. Thank God you weren’t in the car when it went in the water.”
Yes, thank God indeed, because I couldn’t swim. “I know. I sent Perry a message. At least I don’t have to see Wade for eight months.” Eight blissful months in Wilmington. I loved living in LA, loved frolicking around the stores and indulging in the latest beauty treatments, but there was something about being in a place that had a slower pace that appealed to me.
“And, you don’t have to hear how Craig is either.” Noah added rolling his eyes. “Your asshole of an ex can be history for eight months.”
My stomach squeezed and I pressed my lips together. Sure, he was right.
“Yup, I don’t have to hear about Craig.”
I wouldn’t have to hear how Craig was, or what he was doing from the tight circle of friend we shared. Friends we went to college with.
He one guy who’d singlehandly managed to make me fall for him and break my heart all at once.
He got married two weeks ago and hearing all about it from our friends stirred up hurtful memories for me. I couldn’t even pretend I wasn’t affected by the news.
The hard exterior I showed the world crumbled when I heard he was engaged and my heart broke just a little more as my friends talked non stop about the supposed wedding of the year. Craig and his beautiful bride who apparently looked like a goddess.
How was nice for the asshole.
Craig was my first love, we met in our senior year of college when he transferred from Penslyvania. While he did Law, like me he did a minor in English for the same reason as me. Our love for books. I’d never met a guy who ever admitted to anything like that. He was a notable criminal defence lawyer now and we were together for a total of five years before he decided he didn’t want to be with me anymore.
I was such a pity he couldn’t have come to that conclusion and ended things with me before I found out he was sleeping with his secretary. I found out in thw worse way too. I found messages they shared on his phone when I borrowed it after losing mine. A message came through from her asking if she should meet him in the morning for a blow job.
When I confronted him about it his answer was, he cheated because he didn’t see us having a future together. That was it. His excuse and it crushed me. I took it hard because I’d given my heart and soul to him.
That was over a year ago and it changed me. It made me wiser and more aware on my outlook on life.
I’d felt like a fool though because I’d already gotten the heads up that love could be cruel from the combo of my parents disasterous marriage and Mom walking out on our family when I was ten. When I met Craig I thought that if I tried to be the best girlfriend it would work out. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It wasn’t as simple as being the best and like Dad I gave my heart to someone who would never love me.
“Hey, stop thinking.” Noah chided. His voice cut into my thoughts. “You’re okay right?”
“Of course.” I was just annoyed at myself because I allowed it to get to me,
but I would be fine.
Iwasfine, and I was here in a new town to have a brand new adventure. This place had a lacadasical feel about it that appealed to the writer in me. I wanted to harness that and enjoy the opputunity for what it was.
I just wished I had a better neighbor.
“Good. So looks like you swapped Wade for Officer Asshole.” Noah laughed. I knew that was a purposeful subject change. “The names you give people are crazy, Brooke.”
“He was an asshole.” A normal person wouldn’t have behaved the way he had.
“And he’s your neighbor. I’m going to love watching this play out. Fuck, that’s some irony—or maybe karma.” He gave me a quizzical stare with a lopsided grin.
I knew exactly why he was looking at me like that, and unfortunately I also knew the direction our conversation was about to take.
“It’s irony. Why would it be karma? I haven’t done anything wrong.” I folded my arms and narrowed my eyes at him.
He straightened up and stared me down. “Really? You don’t think you did anything wrong? Nothing at all?”
“Nope.” I shrugged and pouted.
That silly grin I’d grown used to for the last twenty-five years returned to his face. That was how long we’d been friends: twenty-five long years. We were what people called life friends.The kind that may as well be related.
