“Is he abigboy? I wouldn’t know,” she says, trying to hold back a laugh.
“Stop it and just drive.” My head falls against the back of the seat, and she honks her horn as we pass by him.
We immediately get stopped at the first red light when she turns out of my complex’s parking lot. “Tanner was at your apartment this morning,” she says.
I let out a grumble, and my friend begins to laugh again. “Please explain. Because my imagination is running wild, and I have to say I don’t hate the idea of you and him.”
“There is no me and him. The short version is that you all abandoned me last night. He showed up at The Local. We drank too much, and then he made sure I got home safely.”
Her head whips in my direction. “He made sure you got home safely. That’s sweet.”
It is sweet, and I don’t know how I feel about it.
“The light’s green,” I say, and she begins to drive again. “Yes, because he’s our friend. He slept on the couch, and he was still there because he thought we were going to go get our cars together. He didn’t know about breakfast.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t sound so disappointed. There’s more.”
“Oh?” The corners of her mouth lift into a devious grin.
“I might’ve agreed to live with him.” I cover my face with my hands and peek through my fingers.
Laughter begins to bubble out of her, tears streaming down her face.
“It’s not funny. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking,” I say.
“Have you told anyone else?”
“No. Because I think I’m going to tell him it’s a horrible idea. He caught me in a bad moment. Yesterday was stressful, and I was drunk. I can’t live with him.”
“Wait, why was yesterday stressful? Everything okay with your brother?”
“Oh, yeah, Cody’s fine. My parents need more help. My dad hurt his back helping my brother into bed the other day. I offered to move home, but they said no. I can’t find anywhere affordable to live. My mom actually suggested that I stop saving money for my camp idea, and you know I can’t do that.”
“Is Tanner’s place affordable?”
“I don’t know. He told me he wouldn’t charge me rent.”
She pulls into a parking spot in front of the restaurant and turns off the car. She unbuckles and flips toward me. “He offered you the room for free?”
“Yes, and don’t look at me like that! It’s not that big of a deal.”
“I would argue it’s a very big deal. Like I know you’re friends, but I’m your best friend, and I'd probably charge you something.”
“Wow, I’m so lucky to have you in my life,” I say sarcastically. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“I don’t think you have a choice.”
“I don’t want to be anyone’s charity case. I’ll figure?—”
Banging on my window interrupts me, and I turn to see Poppy and Lacey.
“Let’s go, you two! I’m starving,” Lacey yells through the window.
I glance back over at Gray. “I’ll figure it out, but until then, let’s keep this between us.”
She nods, and we both make our way out of her car and into the restaurant. The last fourteen hours might have been weird as hell, but I’m with my girls, and I’m going to focus on them. I’ll deal with my living situation once my head isn’t pounding and my stomach isn’t grumbling.
