True to her word, Chelsea was already waiting for me at a table in the atrium, a packaged salad and glass of iced tea sitting in front of an empty chair. I saw Yancy and Grier in line in the cafe, waiting to pick up their orders.
“Thank you for picking up the salad,” I said to Chelsea as I sat down.
“You’re welcome.” Her eyes moved over me. “You look a lot more relaxed than the last time I saw you.”
“Thank you, I am.”
Her lips curved into a knowing smile. “I’d say your drought problem is over.”
“Well…”
Chelsea lifted a hand. “No, no, don’t start yet. As much as it kills me to say this, we need to wait for the others.”
As soon as she spoke the words, Grier and Yancy plopped down at the table with their food.
“Hey, y’all,” Yancy greeted. She turned toward me. “You look different. Did you change your hair?”
“No, she got laid,” Chelsea joked.
Yancy smiled but shook her head. “No, that’s not it.” She studied me for a moment. “I can’t put my finger on it, but you look different.”
“She’s in love,” Grier stated, sipping her water.
Chelsea and Yancy both turned to me in unison. “What?”
“I never fell out of love with Jordan,” I admitted.
Grier shook her head. “You’re not just in love, you know you’re loved in return.”
“Oh my God,” Yancy breathed, clapping her hands together. “That’s awesome!”
“He said he loves you?” Chelsea asked, her eyes wide.
I nodded. “This weekend. After we had brunch with my father and his aunt.”
“You met the family?” I didn’t think it was possible for Chelsea’s eyes to get any bigger but they did. “Holy shit, that’s quick!”
“I said the same thing to Jordan,” I replied with a shrug, “But he pointed out that we dated for six months before he moved away and that is a solid foundation.”
“I thought you said y’all had a no-strings thing?” Yancy asked.
For the first time in a long time, heat rose in my cheeks and I knew my skin was flushed. “Well, that is what I thought, but…” I trailed off because I wasn’t sure how to put it. I was also embarrassed by how willfully blind I’d been to Jordan and his feelings.
“He wanted more?” Yancy asked. “I thought it was his decision to move away.”
“It was,” I replied, sipping my iced tea to soothe my suddenly dry throat.
“He didn’t know you felt the same way,” Grier stated.
I shook my head, feeling idiotic for not seeing it before.
Grier looked at me and I could almost hear her thoughts.
“I know, I know, I should have talked to him,” I admitted, lifting my hands.
The corners of her mouth tipped up. “Well, it takes two to make a relationship and, many times, it takes two to fuck it up.”
“Preach,” I murmured beneath my breath. So many of the divorces I saw resulted from the actions of both parties in a marriage. There was always an exception to the rule, but it was rare. “I just hate that we wasted two years.”
