Beck
I will grab you on my way, Meg.
Beck
I'm so sorry, Han :(
Beck
Do you want me to pick up anything else?
I wouldn’t say no to donuts.
Beck
Done!!!
Megan
Thanks, Beck. I will be ready.
I drop my phone on the counter and pour myself a glass of icy water. I’m still trying to regulate my breathing, as I hold the cold glass to my cheek. In for five seconds. Out for five, I breathe.
As I watch the gentle waves roll onto the shore, my mind drifts back to my last conversation with Logan. It’s been a long time, but that moment is etched in my memory.
“It’s not you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I just can’t do this anymore. I’m only going to end up hurting you.”
The best thing? What a fucking joke. You don’t push away the best thing. You don’t break the best thing. Fuck him. Fuck him for coming back.
Chapter Seventeen
“Book club” was created in high school because Claire’s parents were extremely strict. Not just a little strict, she wasn’t allowed to do much that wasn’t academic related. In the tenth grade, she convinced them we had started a book club for extra credit. She went as far as to create a parent-friendly list of books we would be reading, checked them out of the library and studied for possible questions they might ask her. It was genius, really.
For three years, Claire, Megan, and I had a pretend book club, that met at least weekly, just so she could hang out with her friends like any other teenager. What we really did was watch trashy reality TV, eat junk food, and gossip about boys. It was one of the best parts of our week.
Book club went on hiatus when I left for university and Claire left the province. It was resurrected when she suddenly returned to Emerley six years ago, six months pregnant. Yeah, that happened.
Our wee book club made room for a tiny baby, my new bestie Beck, and occasionally Claire’s younger sister, Erin, when she is home from university. We do occasionally talk about the spicy books we all enjoy, but we just love the excuse to catch up with each other.
We usually meet here at the cabin because I’m the only one who lives alone. Claire will host if Riot takes Ben for the night. The frequency of our gathering depends on our schedules, but it’s important to each of us. Especially in times of distress or crisis, like right now. I know my girls will drop everything to come and I would do the same for them.
Recently, our meetings have become more frequent. Beck finally left her asshole boyfriend and had to move back to Maggie’s. Well, she lives in an Airstream on Maggie’s property. Claire always has baby-daddy drama. Megan is silently navigating her relationship with her narcissistic husband Jeff and just needs support. Let’s just pretend I didn’t say that. And sometimes, I just need my friends. Like tonight.
Claire arrives first looking like she ran all the way here. She didn’t, but it’s a legitimate possibility. I go in for an embrace and she puts up her hands to warn me off.
“I want nothing more than to hug you right now, but I have been teaching fitness classes all afternoon and I stink.” She smells her pits and scrunches her nose. “I really stink. I didn’t take the time to shower and change. I just grabbed Ben from the after-school program and took him directly to Riot’s. He is super excited to haveboy time.” Claire pulls her damp hair off the back of her neck and rolls her eyes.
She is lucky that Riot wants to help as much as he does with five-year-old Ben. Loving, patient, and dependable, he’s the polar opposite to his older brother, Ransom, who just happens to be Ben’s sperm donor. Yeah, I know, it’s messy.
“Do you want to grab a quick shower before everyone else gets here? There are towels in the cupboard and anything else you may need is under the sink.”
“I would love that. I have clean clothes with me.” She grabs her bag and heads into the bathroom. It makes me happy thateveryone is so comfortable here. That I have created a home for myself and a safe place for all of them.
Megan and Beck arrive a short time later. Opening the door to greet them, I see they are both loaded down with bags and boxes from Maggie’s.
Smiling, I take a bag from Meg and move out of the way so they can enter.
“Did you clean her out? It looks like you bought out the entire bakery.”
