I took another long sip and squared my shoulders.
Tomorrow.
I would call him tomorrow and get it over and done with. Like ripping off that metaphorical Band-Aid, I would make that call tomorrow to begin seeing someone about surviving a gunshot. Even if the idea of talking about it, dredging up all those feelings, was turning my stomach into knots. Everyone else was moving forward from that fateful day, so it was about time I did too.
I mentally shook it off as tomorrow’s problem and headed back to the couch with the wine glasses full.
Kira hung up her phone, face indifferent as she plopped onto the couch.
“Not Seb?”
“No. It was someone from work asking if I could cover their shift… Anyway, why would you think I was expecting a call from him?” Her movements to act casually made it all the more obvious.
“I know you slept with him, Kira,” I smiled softly.
She couldn’t contain her happiness any longer. It burst from her like sun rays as her lips spread into a grin. “I wouldn’t exactly call what we didsleeping. We didit, several times, on Friday afternoon, and then when I woke up that same afternoon, he’d gone. But he did leave a note.”
“What did it say?” I was intrigued now, barely containing my smile as I set the glasses down and sat beside her.
Kira pressed her lips together and reached into her back pocket. She pulled out a post-it note and handed it to me to read. On the yellow paper was a simple note.
‘Have a good weekend, Smiles.’
I pouted happily. “That is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“But I don’t know what I’m doing,” she groaned, dropping her face into her hands while her wild, red hair fell around her shoulders.
“Because of what you had with Aiden?”
She sat up quickly, pulling a face in disgust. “No, definitely not because of him. Without him, I feel wonderful. With Seb, I felt wonderful. I haven’t felt this happy in so long. But it feels like itshouldbe wrong to dive into something so fast.”
“I hate to break it to you, Kira,” I placed a hand on her knee, “But slow and steady hasn’t ever been your thing.”
“Okay, true,” she laughed.
“Sooo?” I wagged my eyebrows.
“We just—click. And it feels so easy,” she sighed, falling heavily into the back of the couch.
Her happiness was contagious as I grinned. “Have you talked to him about how you feel?”
“No… And it’s not because I’m avoiding it,” she added quickly when I gave her a look. “Seb dropped his phone when we went for bubble tea, and it broke in a puddle. So, I think he’s getting it repaired, which would explain why he hasn’t been able to talk to me all weekend…Andpart of me wants to talk to him, because I know how easy it is to talk to him…”
“But?”
“But I also don’t want to find out I’ve read the situation completely wrong and have my heart broken again.” Hershoulders slumped slightly, and her smile became more subdued.
“You’ve had sex, Kira. I don’t think you’re reading anything wrong.”
“What if all he wants is that?”
“Which is why you need to talk to him,” I urged, and then frowned slightly. “Obviously, when his phone is fixed. I could always ask Dean to relay a message. They have their fights this Friday.”
Kira began nodding slowly as she considered it, but shook her head quickly. “No. No. I don’t want to start waiting on a man again… Seb always shows up for my SDV meetings on Thursdays, so I’ll talk to him then.”
“Even better,” I half smiled. “It’s not like Seb not to show up. The guy is the definition of loyal.”
“Exactly.” She nodded in reassurance, more so to herself, before she grabbed her wine glass and took a long gulp. Her brown eyes suddenly widened over the rim of the glass at me, and she lowered it to her lap. “How are you feeling about Friday, though?”
