“Comeon?”
Sasha’s booted feet sandwiched April’s under the table, the strangest hug she’d ever gotten, but she welcomed the pressure as her heart crawled up her throat.
“You know I’m right,” Ramona said.
“You’reright?”
Apparently, all April could do was repeat everything Ramona was saying right now, but for the life of her, she couldn’t find a different reaction.
“I’m just worried,” Ramona said, then quieted her voice even more. “She’sDaphne Love. The woman whose Instagram you pored over for months when Elena left. The person you claimed ruined your life.”
“That was heartbreak talking,” April snapped. “Daphne had nothing to do with it.”
“I know,” Ramona said calmly. “But she’s still that symbol in your mind. And what about the Devon? Also, she’syoung. Really young, and I just worry that you’re not—”
“Stop,” April said. Her voice was low and sharp, a knife slicing through Ramona’s warnings.
No, herinsults.
“Just stop,” April said again.
Ramona closed her mouth, a pained expression on her face. And April knew she shouldn’t say it. Knew she should just leave it alone, deal with this later, that this was Daphne’s birthday and no place to air months—maybe even years—of friendship issues.
But April was never very good atshould.
“You don’t know anything about me,” she said quietly, her eyes locked on Ramona’s.
And that was all she needed to say.
Ramona’s entire demeanor changed. She froze, then sort of deflated, her shoulders dropping, her throat working in a hard swallow.
“April,” Dylan said, a questioning plea in her tone.
“It’s okay,” Ramona said, taking Dylan’s hand and squeezing until her knuckles went white. She looked away, gripped her water glass with her free hand.
April felt a tinge of guilt, but there was no regret—what she’d said was true, at least right now at this point in their lives, and she’d needed to say it, needed to finally saysomething. Daphne slid back into the booth then, her hand on April’s leg. Everyone was silent, though, and she must’ve picked up on the awkwardness, because she lifted her brows at April, mouthed, “Are you okay?”
April winked at her in response, even though she wasn’t sure if she was okay or not. She felt numb, relieved, and sad all at once. One thing she did know, she wasn’t about to let her own issues ruinthis day for Daphne. They’d both had a shit year, and at least one of them was going to have a great fucking birthday.
Owen came back to check on them then, a welcome distraction, and they all ordered another round of fries and fresh shakes. After he left, April lobbed a question about Marlene Dietrich at Dylan to get the focus off herself and Ramona. Soon they were talking about bisexuals in Germany in the 1920s, and April had tangled her fingers with Daphne’s under the table.
Ramona was mostly quiet, but April forced herself to focus on everyone else.
To focus on herself.
And after a few minutes and several bites of the best burger in New England, she didn’t have to try.
She just did it.
Chapter
Twenty-Four
An hour later,April and Daphne were back on the sidewalk, meandering slowly through downtown. The night was warm, the air sugar scented and summery, a loamy breeze coming off the lake.
“Thank you for tonight,” Daphne said, her arm looped through April’s as they walked. “I didn’t think anyone knew it was my birthday. And I was feeling…” She shook her head. “Anyway. I needed that. So thank you.”
“You’re very welcome,” April said.
