“You know why.”
There was a long pause.
“Did he say that?”
“Sort of. He said he was no good and that there were rules for a reason.”
Layna’s snort was possibly the only thing that could make my lips curve up right then.
“Don’t you just hate it when men think they not only know what’s best for you, but can make decisions for you?”
“Yeah,” I agreed, blinking back the stupid, useless tears. I was going to get my tear ducts removed if they didn’t stop it.
“Want me to turn around, catch a cab, and come back to beat his ass for you?”
“No.” Then, with a little more conviction, “No. It’s for the best. It was just, you know, a little attraction. Likely just because he saved my life. I mean, he isn’t even my type.”
“I’ll say this with all the love in my heart, Gracie Goose, you have shit taste in men.”
“I want to object to that,” I said.
“But you know I’m right.”
“I do not have a good track record.”
“Can I just make one little suggestion and then I’ll shut up about it? Mostly because I need to board this flight, because you know I have a lot to say…”
I ignored the three bleeps my phone let out. Incoming texts. Likely from caterers. I could deal with them later.
“Okay.”
“I’ve seen you with all your boyfriends in the past. Even the ones you loved who claimed to love you. And I’m not saying this next part to be harsh, just to give you a perspective shift…”
“Alright.”
“I’ve never seen any of them look at you with the wonder I’d seen on Perish’s face. Just… don’t disregard that. Okay. The gate agent is giving me the stink eye. I have to go.”
“Call or text me as soon as you land.”
“Will do. Love you, Goose.”
“Love you too.”
With that, I ended the call and slipped my phone into my bag without a second glance.
I didn’t want her words to sink in. I didn’t need more reasons to be sad about a situation I was trying to put behind me.
There was no stopping them, though.
Suddenly, I was transported back to the clubhouse, to catching sight of Perish sipping the dregs of my margarita as the girls and I danced around to some silly pop song that, for reasons I didn’t even remember anymore, was ‘our’ song.
I tried not to look at him, to make it obvious to anyone how much I wanted him the second I saw him again.
So I hadn’t seen what Layna had.
That didn’t mean that I doubted her, though.
If there was one thing you could usually say about that particular cousin of mine, it was that she was observant. It was part of what made her so damn good at card games. She could spot even the smallest tell. Because her livelihood depended on it.
