“So …” she said after we finished eating.
I opened the bag of chips and loudly crunched on one. Damn, this was way more awkward than I’d thought it would be.
“You and Melissa’s dad? What was that about?”
For the first time tonight, I looked her right in her eyes and gulped. “Please don’t tell Melissa. Please. Please. Please. I didn’t mean for it to happen.” Lie. “It just kind of did. I thought it was going to be a one-time thing.”
Her eyes widened, and then there was a sudden playfulness in them. “This happened before?” She slapped me on the arm. “And you didn’t tell me about it?”
Myeyes widened, and I placed the chips on the table between us.She is okay with it?
“Girl! Remember we used to have the biggest crush on him in high school? We used to talk about what he’d be like in bed all the time behind Melissa’s back. Did you forget or something?”
I sighed in relief. High school seemed like it was so long ago. With all the shit that had happened since I graduated … I barely remembered.
Serena inched closer to me. “So, tell me all the deets. I won’t tell Melissa or Mason.”
“Mason …” I said, guilt plaguing me again.
She rolled her eyes. “Mia, don’t even feel bad about him. It’s about damn time you moved on from that lazy-ass man-whore. I usually don’t condone cheating, but Mason doesn’t do anything to please you. You complain about him all the time.” She bumped her shoulder into mine. “So … details. Now.”
So, I grabbed my bag of chips and told her everything—from the night we’d first started hooking up to the summer party to him fucking me senseless at the bar. Her eyes were wide with excitement the whole time, and she was bouncing in her seat.
“God …” She fanned herself. “You are living the freaking dream! Sleeping with our best friend’s dad.” She slumped down in her seat with the biggest smile on her face. “You don’t know how excited I am to hear about all these little sexcapades. I am living for this.”
I smiled and told her all about the night at the pool, but the elevator doors opened.
Melissa walked out of it, her hair messy and her face glowing, as if Victor had just given it to her good. “Hey, girls!”
She plopped down next to me and grabbed my hand. “I thought I’d come visit you. Mason said you were more stressed than usual today.” She intertwined her fingers with mine. “So, I thought that I would get us into the hottest party of the summer to help you relax!”
I furrowed my brows at her. “What’re you talking about?”
“Alpha Epsilon Pi,” Melissa said, giving me a quizzical look. “Remember we went to one of their parties last year? It was the best college party I’d ever been to.”
I sighed through my nose. “Melissa, I can’t go to a party now. Mom is in the hospital.”
What is she thinking?I couldn’t leave.
She tilted her head in my direction. “Come on, Mia. You’ve been cooped up here for weeks, and you haven’t left once. You need to get out for a couple hours, for your mental health.”
My gaze shifted from her to Serena, who shrugged her shoulders. “You don’t have to go for long. We can stay for a couple hours,” she said. “It will be good for you, Mia.”
“I bet Mama Eden wouldn’t mind you getting out.” Melissa winked at me.
I glanced back down the hallway toward Mom’s room and stood up. “If she has a surgery scheduled for Friday or Saturday morning, I’m not going.” I hurried toward her room and peeked my head into it. “Hey, Mom.”
She opened her eyes and smiled softly. “Hi, hon. How is Mr. Bryne?”
After I closed the door behind me, I tensed. “Mr. Bryne is fine.”
“He’s been spending a lot of time here.”
I scratched the back of my head. “Yeah … he has,” I said.
She paused for a long time, and I didn’t know if she was waiting for me to continue, if she already knew about us, or if she needed more rest.
So, I said, “Do you need me to come back later?”
