Then there'sVance.
The man who held my heart and my leash for six fucking years, which was truly the longest relationship I’ve ever been in, and it wasn’t even arealrelationship.
It wasn’t like I wanted to marry the guy or anything, I just wanted to hold his hand when we went to the club. I wanted him to stay after he’d push me over the edge, but he always left.
I wanted to be able to kiss him in a restaurant or just out in public, because I wanted everyone to see what I had.
I wanted him towantto show me off instead of hide me like a knife under the floorboards. I just wanted him to care about me beyond the bedroom. That’s all I’ve ever wanted from anyone, really.
“All done!” Lucy squeals, pulling me from my thoughts. I look down at her work, the bright purple nail polish everywhere but my actual nail.
“Wow, this looks great, Luce! Thanks!” I say with overenthusiasm, even though it looks all too much like I let a four-year-old paint my nails.
Lucy squeals, knocking over her polish bottle on the coffee table as she hugs my waist.
“You look so pretty now!”
I hug her, warmth spreading through my entire body, and I squeeze her a little tighter. And because I’m fucking me, that warmth fades too fast because I know I’ll never actually have this on my own.
“Love you, Lucifer,” I whisper as Britt shoos her off me.
“Okay, now that you’ve made a complete mess, it’s time to clean it up,” she says with authority and Lucy squirms out of my hold.
Britt smirks at me.
“What?”
She shakes her head. “I’ll get the polish remover.”
I sigh as I look at my watch.
I shake my head. “Leave it, it’s fine. I have to head out.” I run a hand through my hair without thinking. I hope the polish is dry and I didn’t just streak purple all through my hair.
“I still can’t believe Christian came through.”
Britt comes back with a Q-tip and I can smell the polish remover. I stand and she meets me in the hall, gazing up at me with bright eyes.
“I told you,” she says as she grabs my hand and cleans up the plethora of purple around my cuticles.
“Thank you,” I say. “Not just for getting me into Sharks, but…” My heart catches in my throat, but it’s not because of remorse or guilt, like one might think. “For being my best friend. And for making the cutest little besties ever.”
“Alex,” she says, swishing the Q-tip around my last disastrously purple finger.
“I mean it, Britt. My life is…” I sigh as she drops my hand. “My life is a mess, but at least I have you guys. Minus Christian, of course,” I add, because I feel oddly emotional right now.
I hope my date drinks, because I fucking need a drink.
“Buy him some box seats, and I’m sure he’ll be singing another tune,” she teases.
“Done. Gotta appreciate the man’s sacrifice somehow,” I say as I lean in to kiss her on the cheek. She smiles.
“I gotta go,” I say, stepping away and heading towards the door.
My knee still hurts like hell because the ibuprofen isn’t cutting it on the pain. The doc gave me Vicodin, but thatshit makes me damn near comatose, and I hate taking pills, period. Plus, they don’t mix well with alcohol.
“Have a good day at therapy,” she says with a mischievous grin as she waves at me from her porch.
At least if I have to stay here in Ashbourne for months, I’ll be able to spend time with the girls. I should call up Austen, too, see if he wants to grab dinner or something. He’s not the most social guy on the planet, but it’s been too long since we’ve hung out, just the two of us.
