This is surreal. Sitting in a mansion, eating gourmet leftovers, drinking wine that probably costs more than my rent.
But it doesn't feel wrong.
It feels... right. Like I belong here.
That thought should terrify me. Instead, it wraps around me like a warm blanket. Do I? Do I belong here? Can I belong here?
My phone buzzes with a group text.
Madison: Status update: Are you alive? Dead? Married?
Lily: Alive. Working. Not married.
Chloe: Where are you right now?
Lily: Ethan's house.
Holly: AGAIN?!
Lily: He's at the hospital. Patient emergency. He told me to stay and eat dinner. Suggested his place would be more comfortable than mine. He wasn’t wrong.
Amber: That man is playing the long game and I respect it.
Emily: Or, he genuinely cares about her wellbeing.
Maya: Can't it be both?
Madison: It's definitely both. Lily, real talk. How are you feeling about all this?
I stare at the question, trying to sort through the tangle of emotions in my chest.
Lily: Scared. Excited. Confused. Like I'm standing on the edge of something big and I don't know if I should jump or run away.
Holly: What does your gut say?
Lily: Jump.
Madison: Then jump, babe. Just make sure there's a net.
Chloe: Or at least someone to catch you.
Emily: Preferably someone with excellent forearms.
I laugh, shaking my head.
Lily: I hate you all.
Amber: No you don't.
Lily: No, I don't.
I set my phone down and finish my wine, letting the warmth spread through my limbs.
Around nine, the front door opens.
Ethan walks in, looking exhausted but relieved. His tie is loosened, his sleeves rolled up, and there's a tiredness around his eyes that makes me want to wrap him in a hug.
"Hey," he says softly. "You stayed."
