“It was made for people like you and Danny,” Vi supplies, mischief thick in her voice.
DANIEL
“I swear if you guys don’t stop talking about it, I’m going no contact,” I warn because they have been talking about this for almost two hours. This is getting ridiculous.
JOSEFINE
“I’m going to walk out if you don’t stop because this is getting ridiculous,” I threaten because she keeps going on and on about the hypotheticals. “He’d have to be remotely interested in me for any of your scenarios to happen and he’s not.”
She sits up, the glass of wine in her hand close to sloshing out. “What do you mean he’s not interested? I find that hard to believe. Have you seen yourself? You’re gorgeous, Josie.”
I almost smile at that but take a sip of my own glass as last night’s events play in my head. I don’t like sharing about myself, but the alcohol forces the words out. I tell her about our exes, the video that wasaccidentallysent to us, about him punching Bryson, about Monday night and how I sat on him and took a picture to send to his ex. How he practically ran to his room and wouldn’t look at me. I don’t tell her about why things played out the way they did last night, but I do tell her about him calling me a friend.
“Wait.” She takes a long drink before she speaks. “Why would he punch Bryson in the face that bad and then let you send her a picture of you on his lap? That doesn’t scream he’s still in love with her.”
“I don’t know and I didn’t ask because I was returning the favor. What he does is none of my business.”
“What do you mean you were returning the favor?” Her Cheshire grin freaks me out.
“He might have helped me slash Bryson’s tires.”
“Stop.” She coos, softly swats my arm. “That’s so freaking cute. You can’t tell me he’s not?—”
“No,” I immediately cut in. “I know you believe in…” I try to find the word, but I struggle to think of the correct one to describe what I want to say.
“Love?” she giggles.
“Right, that. Love…I know you believe in it, but I don’t.”
She dramatically gasps, but I think it’s genuine because she looks completely devastated by my admission. “What? You don’t believe in love? But you and Bryson dated for like a year or something. Did you not love him?”
“No.” I convinced myself enough that I liked him because I was so lonely, but in the end, I still felt so lonely while I was with him. “I didn’t.”
“That’s valid. He was and is a piece of shit.” She muses for a moment. “So you don’t believe that someone out there is made for you?”
There’s a pang in my chest at the question. “No and I’m okay with it. I’ve seen what love does and it’s definitely not something I think I’m cut out for. I mean look at Daniel and Amanda: she hurt him, but he still wants her or at least still has feelings for her. Bryson did what he did, and I can’t help but feel repulsed by him.”
“I don’t know. Pen made it sound like he was definitely over her.”
“Maybe he wasn’t honest with her. Who knows? All I know is he doesn’t see me that way and that’s okay with me.”Is it really?“We’re going to live together now and I don’t want things to be weird anyway.”And why would he want someone fucked up like me?
“Okay, so here’s another hypothetical.”
“Vienna, I swear.” I groan, chugging the rest of my wine, but she doesn’t waste a second to grab the bottle and pour more into my glass.
“He doesn’t have to love you and you don’t have to love him but that doesn’t mean you guys can’t fuck. Hypothetically speaking, what if you guys?—”
“I’m so done with you.” I go to stand but she throws her long leg over my legs.
“Okay, I’m kidding. Don’t leave.” She chuckles. “I do have one more question and then I’ll shut up.”
“What?”
“All jokes aside, would you sleep with him?”
“Vi, why are you?—”
“Yes or no?”
