As I’m taking in Liam’s words, all I can think is,why can’t B see it?Everybody else saw it. Hell, even her boyfriend or fiancé, whatever the fuck he is. Why can’t she see it? It’s always been us. We’re meant to be together.
I’m unsure of what to say to him. On one hand, I want to say,Yeah, I’m in love with her, so fuck off, but this is truly Blakely’s decision. I can’t step in between them more than I already have.
“You guys ready?” B says, shifting both of our gazes back to her.
“Yes. Let’s go,” he says and intertwines his hand with hers. She looks up at him and then back at me with a concerned look on her face. I put on a smile, hoping she won’t suspect anything and be left worrying.
There's a sting in my heart as I watch the two of them walk in front of me. I don’t know what’s to come now that Liam has his doubts about us. Will he be the one that walks away? But how will that feel? Knowing that he walked away and not B? If B walks away, I’ll know it was her choice. If Liam walks away and she comes to me, how will I know it was truly her choice?
Blakely
“I bet the hotel staff thinks we’re lesbians,” I say, taking in our hotel room with a jacuzzi tub right in the middle. It’s next to two gigantic windows with trees flowing in the wind outside, making this room very private.
“Twohotlesbians,” Paige says with laughter. She sprawls out onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
She won a weekend getaway that was hosted on Instagram from a hotel that just opened in the mountains. It’s called the Mountain View Hotel. It’s advertised as a hotel for couples to spend a romantic getaway. She had six months to use it, and she thought by now she would have a boyfriend to go with, but that hasn’t happened. She asked me at the last minute since her voucher expires after this weekend. I’m very thankful for the distraction, honestly. I needed to get away and clear my head. I’m hurting everyone in my life right now, and I can’t seem tothink straight in order to know what to do. When Paige asked me to come, I packed my bag in a hurry. I need my bestie right now, and she’s getting irritated with me since I haven’t been letting her in lately.
My body tenses from a loud popping noise. I turn around and see Paige opening up a champagne bottle. “It’s Friday night. We’re getting drunk,” she says, eyeing me with mischief all over her face.
I shake my head at her and take a seat on the bed, moving up and down slightly, feeling the comfort of the mattress. People here are really going to think we’re together. I don’t remember the last time Paige and I did something like this. We used to have sleepovers together all the time. But it ended after she stayed with me and Amari a couple of times when Amari was a baby and still woke up at night. She was a teenager who did not like her sleep interrupted. What teenager does? My actions gave me no choice.
She hands me a glass flute. “Cheers!” she says as we clink our glasses together.
“What are we cheering about?”
“My lonely life,” she says with a wince.
"Oh, shut up. You have plenty of people that love you,” I say as we both take sips of our champagne.
“Yeah, but no one isinlove with me.” She slumps down on the bed, making my body bounce from her weight.
“You’re still so young, Paige. Why the rush?”
“Do you realize you found your person at sixteen? It’s a little defeating I still have no one.”
My person?
She says it as if we’re still together. As if we’ve been together this whole time. Did she reference him because he was my first? I can’t tell, becausemy personslipped off her tongue sonaturally, like I belong to him, like nothing has changed since we were teenagers.
She gets off the bed, sets her glass down, and turns on the water to the jacuzzi. “Let’s get in,” she says while throwing her shirt off.
I immediately feel the tension melt away as soon as we get in. The warm water loosens my muscles, easing the stress I’ve been holding onto. All my thoughts have been a whirlwind lately. There are decisions I need to make that have been racing through my mind for the past few months.
“Paige,” I say over the bubbles of the jacuzzi.
“Mhm,” she says while enjoying the chocolate-covered fruit we ordered after our dinner.
“What would you say if I gave Kai another chance?” My heart races, awaiting her answer and desperate to know what she thinks. It’s been a while since I brought up being with Kai again. What will she think? What will anyone think? It’s no one’s business but ours, but I still wonder what people’s thoughts are since we are still so close.
Her eyes shoot up wide with her mouth wide open. “I would say it’s about damn time!” she exclaims, a little too loud. Not knowing if she’s raising her voice so I hear her over the bubbles or if she’s this excited.
My brows furrow and my lips part slightly, confused by her reaction. “What!”
“What?” She shrugs her shoulders. “You guys deserve to give it another shot.”
“Where is this coming from?” I’m honestly confused. I obviously wanted her thoughts on it, but I didn’t expect this reaction.
“You two were so young when you had a baby. It’s hard enough to keep a relationship thriving when you’re an adult. I couldn’t imagine doing it as a teenager. You guys had a lotgoing on. On top of that, Kai's dad passing away didn’t help the situation.” She lets out a breath as if she’s been holding that in for some time now. “You two were so cute together. You still are.”
