“You’re as coordinated as I am, if not worse. Remember how you’re banned from home renovations?” I said, looking at Stella, hoping she’d change her mind.
She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at me. “What could possibly happen to me?”
“Let’s see,” I said, counting on my fingers. “You could fall on your head and crack it open. You could pull something. Break a leg. Arm. Your pick.”
“Fine. But if Malena gets to dance, I want to be there,” Stella said.
“Don’t think you can leave me at home. Poles love me,” Willa said, dancing around the living room.
“That doesn’t even make any sense,” I said, watching her attempt a pirouette and falling on her butt.
Malena nodded, and I could tell she’d be up on that stage before the week was over.
I went back to the table and started clearing the dirty dishes. Everyone pitched in, and we had everything put away within a few minutes. We decided to have a quiet night in, watching movies and drinking wine.
I’d banned the girls from bringing any alcohol that could be turned into a cocktail since that hadn’t ended well last time. It was wine only from here on out.
We squeezed onto the couch, Stella topping up everyone’s glass.
“Did you hear from your mom again?” I asked her.
Her mom used to be the mayor of our town. She’d controlled Stella until she finally broke free and fell in love with Mason.
“She tried threatening me a few times to get me to fulfill the contract. But my lawyers said I did everything required to break it, so I’m good.”
Malena scoffed. “Where does she think she lives? And a marriage contract? Really?”
Stella shrugged. “There’s a contract for everything in her world. But she’s moving to DC, so I hope I’ll never have to talk to her again.”
Sounded harsh, but I’d met her mother once and didn’t care to repeat the experience. She was dismissive and cruel, and I was glad my friend was nothing like her.
“Is she still going to try and get a spot in the senate? Even after the whole mall scandal?” I asked, not surprised at her audacity.
“I guess so,” Stella said, biting her bottom lip. “But can we please stop talking about her? Thinking about her gives me an ulcer. And we have more important things to discuss. Like what you’re going to do now.”
Malena lifted her glass. “First, we need a toast.”
Stella, Willa, and I held up our glasses as well.
“What are we toasting to?” I asked.
“To women who think they’re not good enough even though they are everything and more,” Malena said, giving me her best side-eye.
I nudged her. “Why do I feel personally attacked by this?”
She clinked her glass to Willa’s, mine, and Stella’s. “Because you are.”
Stella chuckled. “She’s right, you know. Sounds to me like Sebastian was caught in a shitty situation. And he didn’t ghost you after the assignment was done. Nowthatwould have been a dick move.”
“But he lied to me,” I said, already knowing I was just arguing to not look like a pathetic lovesick loser.
Stella leaned forward to look at me from behind Malena. “And that wasn’t okay. Don’t think we’re saying it was. But it sounds to me like he wants to make up for it.”
Can it really be that easy?
“If he wants you to forgive him, he won’t just give up. And do you really want him to disappear?” Willa asked.
“No, I guess I don’t,” I said, the realization slamming into me.
