Capri gives me a slow clap from her end of the couch. Capri has always been our biggest hype girl. She never misses an opportunity to make each of us feel seen and be heard.
“Did you guys see this comment on our last video?” Lexi says loud enough to tear me out of my thoughts. “We’ve been dubbed ‘The Thriller Queens’! How freaking cool does that sound?”
“I think we should make stickers with that on them,” Capri muses as we both lean toward Lexi to see the comments. “Or maybe hats! We could take some disgustingly cute selfies in them for the website!”
My front door opens, and we all turn to see my boyfriend Josh walking in with a bouquet of pink flowers. Peonies, my favorite.
“Oh,” he says wide-eyed when he enters the living room. “I didn’t realize the girls would be here today.” The tips of his ears turn red along with the blush that creeps up his neck and over his cheeks as he sets the flowers on my entryway table with his keys. “I’ll, um, go somewhere else?”
Capri is the first to stand, and she grabs her bag from the floor. “We are on our way out, Romeo. Lee was expecting me home an hour ago.” She winks at me, grabs Lexi’s purse from the table, and shoves it at her. “Let’s go, Lex. It’s date night for these two lovebirds.”
Lexi looks up from her phone and blinks. “Oh, hi Josh,” she mumbles as she takes her bright green purse from Capri. “Bye, Josh.”
They both wave at me as Josh opens the door for them.
“See you later, Teagan. We still on for books and coffee Sunday?” Lexi asks hesitantly.
Something has seemed a bit off with her lately, and I make a mental note to text her later to see what’s up. She goes through spells like this occasionally, and I know she’ll tell me once Capri isn’t around.
Capri may be the one who lights up my world on the darkest days. But Lex will always be my person, and I can read her like a book.
I grin at Lexi and throw a pair of finger guns her way. “Of course I’ll be there. It’s not like it hasn’t been a permanent date on our calendars for the last three years.” I wink. “You girls get home safe. Love you.”
“Love you!” they say in unison.
Josh locks the door behind them after they leave, and I jump over the back of the couch and wrap my arms around him from behind.
“Hi, babe,” I say as he turns in my arms to face me. “I’ve missed you today.”
Josh reaches up, cups my face with both hands, and stares into my eyes. His own dark eyes sparkle whenever he does this, making me smile from ear to ear.
It’s one of those private moments between couples that feels immensely intimate.
“I’ve missed you, too,” he whispers before he kisses my forehead.
I could die of happiness every time he does that. Forehead kisses are every girl’s secret Achilles heel, and any girl who says otherwise is a damn liar.
Josh releases me, grabs the flowers he left on the table, and hands them to me. “Happy anniversary, Teagan.”
I bring the peonies to my face and inhale deeply as I take in what he said.
Oh crap.
I forgot our anniversary.
Ourfirstanniversary.
I look up at him and give him my most convincing smile. “Thank you for the flowers, they’re beautiful. You’ll get your gift later tonight,” I tease. “If you know what I mean.”
Josh’s smile slowly fades as he looks down at me, and I know that I’m screwed. He can smell a lie from my lips quicker than a bloodhound.
“You forgot, didn’t you? You spent all day with your friends and forgot about our anniversary?” Josh stares at me, and I see the tick in his jaw—the one tell he has that shows he’s angry. “Ourfirstanniversary? The one I’ve been reminding you of for weeks now!”
“I might have forgotten, but I’ll make up for it!” I promise as he scoffs and rubs a hand through his dark hair. “I’m sorry! Today was a super important episode! We needed to get it done so we can spend Sunday editing it! You know how much I love talking about A. M. Pierce’s books! This is my career, Josh.”
“Career…right.” He rolls his eyes at me and doesn’t elaborate.
“And what exactly do you mean by that?” I glare up at him.
