“Yes, but . . . maybe it’s a little soon for that.”
“Soon?” I asked. “What do you mean? Soon, like, David might change his mind?”
“Uh, no. I mean soon, like, Bill is probably really upset right now and giving back the ring might’ve been a little insensitive.”
“Oh.” My face flushed, but I nodded. “I should warn you,” I said, “Bill isn’t really happy with you, which is completely unfair. He might think you’re involved somehow.”
Her eyebrows knit, but her arm tightened around me as we walked. “I don’t care,” she said finally. “Maybe one day, we can all be friends again, but for now, I just want to be there for you.”
“Thanks,” I said but frowned. Our threesome was incomplete without Lucy, and remembering her disappointment in me stung anew. “I wish Lucy was here.”
“I know,” Gretchen said, squeezing me to her. “She’ll come around, don’t worry.”
* * *
I wasn’t sure how, but Gretchen had arranged for us to have her apartment to ourselves for the night. Her two roommates, Bethany and Ava, were gone, and I was thankful for some peace and quiet.
“I have champagne and leftover cake if we’re celebrating,” Gretchen announced, “or ice cream pints and beer in case you feel like wallowing. Movie choices areThe Break-Up,The Notebook, orKill Bill.”
My mouth fell open as I stifled a laugh. “Kill Bill?” I asked. “Gretch. That’s awful.”
“I know.” Her eyes twinkled. “I couldn’t resist.”
“I think I might like to do a little of both,” I said. “Celebrating and wallowing.”
“I can make that work,” she decided, disappearing into the kitchen.
I curled onto her couch, pulled a throw over myself, and rubbed my sore eyes. I needed to call David. Gretchen’s company was nice, but I couldn’t help wanting to see him now that it was allowed. I’d told him I’d need some space after my talk with Bill—afterallof this, even—but now I wasn’t so sure. I wanted to be held by him, to let him comfort me, to finally kiss him without nagging, ever-present guilt. I wondered if it would automatically be gone and what that would feel like.
But it was logical to take a night and process my feelings over what had just happened. I shot David a quick text to tell him it was done and that I’d arrived safely at Gretchen’s. I promised I’d call him in the morning before work, then shut down my phone for the night.
Gretchen floated into the room with a plateful of cake and chocolate chip cookies. On her next round, she juggled two pints and a large bowl of popcorn.
“Oh my God,” I said with widened eyes. “This is heaven.” I hadn’t eaten the fajitas after all, and I’d expelled anything in my stomach while waiting for Bill. I realized that anxiety had kept me from eating much the past twenty-four hours, and I was suddenly starving. Lastly, she brought out two beers and two glasses of champagne.
“Your feast, m’lady,” she said, tossing a piece of popcorn in the air and catching it in her mouth. “Have at it.”
We vetoed all chick flicks in favor ofCaddyshack,one of our childhood favorites. The days to come would be hard, and I didn’t think I had any right to be laughing, but for the rest of the night, I only wanted to get lost in distraction. As soon as Rodney Dangerfield had been declared a menace, a knock came on Gretchen’s front door.
“Are you expecting someone?” I asked.
She shot me an uncomfortable look and shook her head. “Could it be Bill?”
I sat up as Gretchen left to get the door. But as soon as she reappeared with a smile, my heart lifted knowing what she’d say.
“It’s David,” she said, confirming my suspicion. “And he’s being rather persistent about seeing you.”
“He has a habit of persistence,” I said, trying to suppress a smile. Giddiness worked its way through me at the thought of seeing him. I stood immediately and walked toward the door before pausing. “Wait. Is this okay with you? I don’t want to ruin our night.”
“It won’t ruin our night,” she said, tilting her head. “But are you ready to see him?”
“I am,” I said and surprised her with a big hug. “I love you.”
“I think I like this version of Olivia with David,” she teased, smacking me on the behind.
I opened the front door and met David’s wall of a body as he leaned on the doorjamb with outstretched arms. Even the sight of him in a hoodie and jeans stole my breath, but it was the intensity in his light brown eyes that swirled desire in my lower tummy. His black hair was wild in a non-purposeful way, as though he’d been running his hands through it. “I tried to call,” he said.
Unable to gauge his mood, I bit my bottom lip. “I . . . I turned off my phone.”
