“I hope so. Feeling pretty strong.” I rub my hands over my pants as the game goes to a commercial. “Thanks by the way, Blakely.”
“Thanks for what?”
“For all of the help you’ve given me. I know it probably hasn’t been easy moving your schedule around, but I appreciate you making the effort.”
“Of course. We created this mess together, so we’re fixing it together.”
Yup . . . friend-zoned.
That is such a friend response.
Nothing has felt more awful.
“So does this mean this is our last game together, Halsey?”
“It is,” I answer. “We should have celebrated.”
She’s about to respond when her phone dings with a text message. Trying to give her privacy, but also curious if it’s Penny looking for more information, I glance in her direction just in time to catch her face fall, her expression turning ghostly.
Uh-oh, that can’t be good.
“Hey, is everything okay?” I ask.
She looks up from her phone and shakes her head. “No. I just got a text from Perry.”
Perry as in the ex-boyfriend Perry?
What the hell does that fucker want?
If he’s asking her to take him back, I’m going to kick my leg right through my concrete wall.
Because fuck!
I’m trying to remain neutral despite the anger that shot right through my body. Muscles are tense. Jaw is clenched. Sphincter is tight. Yeah, I said sphincter. We’re going there.
“What does the text say?” I ask.
Please don’t say he wants you again.
For the love of God, don’t let that be my shit luck.
Shakily, she stares down at the text and reads it out loud. “‘Hey B, hope you’re doing well. Probably not the person you expected to hear from but wanted to see if you’re still going to Arlene’s wedding. I’m actually flying back for the wedding and wondered if you wanted to hang out.’” She looks up at me, her expression neutral.
Well . . . what does she think of that?
Is she annoyed? Because I’m annoyed.
Because I know exactly what Perry wants when he sayshang out.It’s basically a“let’s get naked”text. Does she wantthat?Does she want to fuck him again?
Is she glad he’s going to the wedding so he can be her plus-one and post-wedding fuck?
Because I want to rip his nuts off for even considering flying across the world for a goddamn wedding.
The game comes back on the TV, but my attention remains on her and what is going on in that beautiful head of hers.
Finally after what feels like minutes of silence, she says, “Why . . . why is he going to the wedding?” Her eyes start to water, and her lips grow tight. “I don’t want to see him.”
Treading lightly, because I don’t want to show just how fucking gleeful that response made me, I ask, “Would Arlene and Marco be upset if you didn’t go?”
