“Bee! How’s everything going over there, girl?” Jenny was still just as sweet as she’d ever been. Blythe missed her and was so grateful for her friendship. They’d called since she left, every now and then, but it felt like both their lives were crazy.
“Things are going great! We’ve almost got the apartment above the shop finished, and I should be able to move in soon.”
Blythe told Jenny about what happened and how Justin wasn’t coping well. She told her friend all her worries, and Jenny let her spill it all. Finally, Blythe stopped for a breath and realized how she’d monopolized the last fifteen minutes of the call.
“Ugh, I am so sorry. Enough about me and my problems. Tell me everything I’ve missed with you.”
“Oh, girl, there’s never anything new with me, just the same old. Work is kicking my butt, but I tell ya—if you’re going to be a waitress in Chicago, this place is it. I could practically live off the tips alone, not even counting my hourly pay.” She laughed, and Blythe did, too.
“Don’t I know it, girl.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line.
“Um…so, Max stopped by the other day. I’ve been meaning to call you, but I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.” Jenny’s voice was timid, laced with mild concern.
“Why? What did he want?” The anger started to rise in her chest, and Blythe had to take a deep breath to calm down. What motive could he possibly have to go harass her friend?
“He said he left something here, and I told him he was a liar and to go pound sand because I wasn’t going to let him in.”
“Good! Did he leave?”
“Not right away. He stayed in the hall for a minute or two. I kept checking through the peephole. Then we saw him drive away in his fancy car. My new roommate, Tabatha, was freaked out. I’ve got to tell you, Bee—that guy is creepy as hell. How were you ever engaged to him? It just doesn’t make sense.”
“Ya think? Where was ourcreepy guyradar back then?”
“It was masked by his sexy cologne.” Both of them started laughing again.
Jenny could always brighten Blythe’s day, even when they were talking about idiots like Max.
All she knew was that she wasn’t ever going to make the same mistake again. She needed to know a guy longer. She needed to make sure that she was in it for all the right reasons. She had to make sure she was ready, and that she could trust her gut where men were concerned—even ones she knew were inherently good, like Justin.
Jenny had to run, but they promised to talk again soon. As Blythe hung up the phone, she saw something in her periphery.
“Hey!” She tried to sound as cheerful as she could. “How did you sleep?”
Justin came closer and wrapped his arms around her. His hug was warm. It wasn’t desperate, but it was tight and sincere.
“It was okay, I guess.” He didn’t let go. “Sorry I slept in so late. It’s almost nine AM. Were you talking to someone?”
Blythe nodded her head. “Yeah, my friend Jenny. We needed to catch up.” She conveniently left out certain parts, knowing it wouldn’t do any good to add to Justin’s emotional load. Max was still just trying to freak her out. There was no way he actually knew where she was.
“We’re going to have family dinner with Chris and the girls tomorrow, but today is free. We could go out to the apartment in a bit and finish up a few things, if you’re up to it?” She practically sang the words, hoping if she could make it sound fun, he’d buy into the lie and go out there with her.
“Yeah, I guess we could. Let me eat something really quick and then we can go out. Or, better yet—you can go out while I eat, and I’ll come as soon as I’m done.”
That sounded like a great idea. He seemed more upbeat this morning, and she didn’t want to rock the boat by hanging around and trying to make him talk or ask him questions.
She couldn’t help it.
When Justin got quiet and didn’t talk much, she was admittedly triggered. She’d started to spiral multiple times over the last couple of days, remembering how one minute Max had been the dream boat fiancé—and, with one conversation, morphed into the devil. She knew Justin wasn’t anything like that, but her betrayal trauma was there, nonetheless. That’s what Jenny called it. Apparently, she’d seen a therapist as ateenager, and it's a real thing that happens when someone breaks your trust beyond repair.
Blythe had purchased a small loveseat and recliner, some rugs, and a floor lamp at the furniture store in town. The delivery men brought it all up yesterday, and she was excited to rearrange it and get the apartment looking like home. She sat on the sofa for what seemed like hours… Still no Justin.
He'd tried to put on his best face when he spoke to Blythe. He knew that he was freaking her out with his grieving process, but what the hell was he supposed to do? Just fake it and pretend he didn’t give a shit about the dog who’d been there through so much of his adult life? Bear was everything to him, and it was all so sudden. It was going to be a while until he could get his head back on straight.
Chewing his raisin bran felt like drudgery. How fucking hard was it to throw down a bowl of cereal? He stood and dumped the rest of it in the garbage disposal. He knew Blythe had been out there for a long time waiting. She wanted him to finish up the kitchen and the bathroom. Holes for knobs still needed to be drilled, and there were light fixtures ready to hang, still sitting in boxes on the floor.
Why was she so hell bent on moving out there, anyway? Yeah, he’d used his unfinished project as bait to get her to move in with him—but it’d been weeks now, and moving her up above his shop just sounded stupid. Hell, her sleeping in the bedroomdown the hall still sounded stupid. He understood she had reasons in her head, but it didn’t make them logical in his.
