I laugh. “The highest compliment, babe, truly.”
“Seriously, I refuse to let you stay home tonight and be sad. You’re not going to look back on today twenty years from now and remember how you wasted your twenty-first birthday over someone who isn’t even going to matter. Who you won’t even remember…”
I’m not quite sure that’s the truth, but I don’t correct her. I think that no matter what happens, I’m never going to forget Wilder. Forget what I gave him or what we shared that night.
Even if he didn’t deserve it.
Even ifheforgets it.
I won’t.
Lennon sits up, twisting to face me. “I’m pretty sure there’s a Taylor Swift song about this.”
I giggle. “Pretty sure there’s a Taylor Swift song about anything to do with a stupid man, babe.”
“True.” She laughs. “So let’s get up, put on the hottest dress you own, and have the best night of your life.”
Before I can answer, she’s hopping off the bed and moving toward my closet, so sure of the answer that I haven’t even given yet.
“First of all, who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?” I call after her. “I’m pretty sure we’ve body swapped at this point.”
While I haven’t always been this… version of myself, I have been the more outspoken, go-with-whatever-happens-on-the-fly one. Lennon has always been type A, planning everything meticulously, down to the smallest of details. Everything always has to be perfect. It’s been ingrained in her entire being since she was born, thanks to her asshole parents.
But that all changed when she met Saint. He brought out a side of my best friend I’d never seen. I know that she was on her own self-discovery journey, but he has to get credit where it’s due.
He supported her through it all. He pushed her to stand up for herself, to be whoever she wanted to be without worrying about anyone else.
I’ll always respect him for that.
Lennon’s always been the fierce, bravehearted girl that she is now… she just fell in love and discovered that girl buried beneath the expectations of her parents.
I see so much of myself in her journey. Sure, our expectations are different, and the situations they come from, but at the core, we’re both just two girls finding the person we want to be.
And not letting anyoneelsedecide for us.
Rifling through my closet, she calls back over her shoulder, “Still in here, just making sure my bestie has the best birthday. One she’ll never forget.”
“Holy shiiiiiit,” Lennon murmurs when I walk into the living room and do a small twirl. “Mais… you look like a freaking goddess.”
I smirk, raking my teeth over my lips as I lift a shoulder.
Self-confidence has never been my issue. I know that I’m attractive—at least that men find me attractive—but I don’t dress for men. I dress to look hot for myself, and this outfit?
I feelsohot.
Ifeellike a goddess.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt hotter than I do right now, and it’s exactly what I needed for tonight.
To stop feeling like a sad girl. The instant serotonin boost from a great outfit will do that to you.
“That dress was literallymadefor you. Seriously, every freaking guy in the room is going to be drooling.”
Laughing, I shake my head. “Len, respectfully, the very last thing I want right now is a man.”
“I mean… isn’t there a saying…” She taps her chin thoughtfully, a wide grin pulling at her lips as she arches anauburn brow. “Oh yeah, getoversomeone by gettingundersomeone else.”
“Lennon Rousseau!”
