“Exactly what I said. What evenisthis conversation right now?”
“What you’re tellin’ me is that people were surprised that me and Harper would hook up, so they stood around gossipin’ and makin’ her uncomfortable, and you just didn’t say anythin’.”
“I’m not sure how she could be uncomfortable, considering that she ran out of the house like her ass was on fire.”
“And what the fuck was Frankie’s problem?”
“You’d have to ask Frankie.”
“Don’t give me that shit. You know the three of you have been sittin’ around talkin’ this shit to death. So, tell me. Why the fuck does Harper think that Frankie’s pissed at her?”
“She’s not pissed at her.”
“Fuckin’ hell. It’s like we’re talkin’ in circles.”
“None of us can understand why it’s Harper,” Lou said, her voice rising. “Like, seriously? Harp is awesome, but she doesn’t even live here. So, what, you guys are going to hook up for a while and then she’s going to leave and it’ll just be weird for everyone?”
I jerked in surprise.
“You serious right now?”
“It’s just a weird choice for you.”
“Harper’s gorgeous and smart as fuck and funny. Don’t think she’d be a weird choice for anyone.”
“Okay then.”
“You’ve never given a single shit who I was seein’, so I’m a little confused about you carin’ what me and Harper are up to.”
“I don’t care.”
“Seems to me, the entire fuckin’ club cares.”
“I can’t control everyone else.”
“No, but you’re one of my best friends, so I would’ve thought you’d have my back.”
“I always have your back.”
“Except when people are gossipin’ about me, right?”
“Bas, you’re blowing this whole thing out of proportion.”
“Don’t think I’m the one who’s doin’ that,” I replied pointedly. “Have fun at Myla’s.”
“Don’t be pissed at me.”
“Harper’s got enough goin’ on right now, so maybe tell your little coven to lay off, yeah?”
“What does Harper have going on?”
“My dinner’s burnin’, Lou. I’ll talk to you later.”
I hung up and tossed my phone onto the couch. It was hard to believe that even Lou hadn’t shut that shit down when she’d heard people talking. I hadn’t noticed any of it, but I’d been pretty much in my own head the rest of the night, and people wouldn’t have talked when I was in hearing distance anyway.
I’d hung out with Lou that night and she hadn’t said shit—
My stomach lurched hard at the realization that I hadn’t just hung with Lou that night. We’d slept in the same fucking bed. By the time everyone else had cleared out and there were only a few of the core group left, we’d all headed upstairs to crash. The little girls slept in twin beds, but I went straight into the king in my old room before anyone else could take it. Lou had followed me in sometime later and passed out on the other side of the bed, and I hadn’t thought anything of it. We’d slept in the same bed plenty of times, but it wasn’t as if anything happened. A couple of years before, we would have cuddled or whatever, but we hadn’t done that in a long time—not since we decided we weren’t going to move things in that direction. It was better not to blur the lines, especially since we spent so much time together.
