“I wanted to make sure it was a done deal before I told her,” I said. “Korbin only proposed last night. I figured if I could move my stuff in without him freaking out, that might be a good time to finally come clean. Besides,” I swallowed down the rest of the wine and reached for the bottle for a refill. “Every time I talk to her all she can brag about is how wonderful Amanda has been in helping her around the house. She’s basically written me off and adopted Amanda.”
“Who’s Amanda?”
“My mom’s home nurse,” I muttered. “And one of Korbin’s sizzling flames.”
“What?”
“I’m just being petty,” I said with a giggle. “I think she has a thing for him. She’s kind of strange, but harmless. I think.”
“You think?”
“Yeah. She’s just a sad little girl. I haven’t seen her around since I moved back to the city, though. I hope I don’t start seeing her around again now.” I sighed again, taking another sip. “It’s whatever. If she can keep my mom entertained and cared for, who am I to complain? She might as well just shove me out of the picture and take my spot. Nobody would notice.”
“That’s not true,” Rem said, and I sighed.
“I know. But it feels like it.”
“Now that you’re back in the summit maybe you can fire her,” suggested Rem. “Susan is doing better, right? Why does she need a nurse?”
“I’ve let her stay for the company, mostly,” I admitted. “But I think it’s almost time to let her go. Now that Korbin and I are trying to make things work, I don’t really want her knowing my business.” I finished off the second glass of wine and then got up to go to the kitchen for some snacks, making a mental note to replace everything we ate.
“What does he have?” Rem asked, joining me in the kitchen. “I’m starving.”
“He’s got Oreos that are expired as of last year,” I said with a giggle. “And a bag of chips that might or might not be edible. How about we order a pizza?”
“Oooh, that sounds fantastic.” Rem went back to the couch, tucking his feet beneath him, and poured us both another glass of wine. As I ordered the pizza from an app on my phone, I texted Korbin.
Is everything still okay? Miss you. I hope you don’t mind us hanging out for a while.
I slipped the phone into my pocket and joined Rem once more on the couch, pulling the throw blanket over our laps to warm up.
“You seem happy,” Rem said, handing me the wine. “Happier than I’ve seen you in a long time, in fact.”
I smiled at him, feeling the slight buzz from the wine fog my head. “I am happy,” I said. “I feel like—I feel like this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for since the moment I met Korbin. Just us, together, happy and carefree and devoted. Honestly, this still feels like a dream.”
“You’ve waited for this,” Rem said. “For so long. This is your chance. This is a chance for both of you. And I’m so happy.” He leaned forward to hug me, and I hugged him back, holding my best friend for a moment, head fuzzy with happiness.
“How about a movie?” he asked when we finally parted. “Maybe I can find a rom com?”
I laughed, grabbing my phone as it buzzed in my pocket, checking the text. “Put on whatever you want, my friend.”
Everything is good. I am so glad you’re here. Enjoy the time with Rem, I’ll be home in a few hours.
Home,I thought, setting my cell phone aside as Remington played some cute romantic comedy on the TV, only getting up when the pizza arrived.This is home now.
Around nine PM, after a couple of movies, pizza, and a bottle and a half of wine, I ordered and paid for an Uber for Rem, who insisted he didn’t want to be in the way when Korbin got home.
“This is your first night together after the engagement,” he said as we took the elevator down to the main floor and waited at the front door of the lobby for the Uber. “I hope it all goes wonderfully for you.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow at work,” I promised, leaning in to hug my best friend. “Text me when you get home.”
“Always, sugar.” Remington climbed into the backseat of his Uber, and I watched them drive away until the taillights vanished into the distance. Shivering in the cold, I turned and headed back towards the elevator rubbing my upper arms with my hands to keep the blood flowing. The buzz from the wine was starting to wear off, but I didn’t mind. Korbin would be home soon.
I locked the front door behind me and started to clean up the mess Rem and I had made, tossing the empty wine bottle in the trash and wrapping up leftover pizza to store in the fridge. A few minutes into this, my cell phone rang, and I pulled it out of my pocket to look at the screen. An unknown number. Shaking my head, I started to toss the phone aside, but then thought better of it and pressed it to my ear.
“Hello?”
Silence. A deep, strange silence that rocketed a shock of fear down my spine. And why? I had no idea.
