Anaïs nods. “I’ve been on your social media posting about your upcoming book.”
“There is no book.” My voice quivers and I feel Edel’s hand slide over mine.
“There is, it’s sitting on your laptop nearly finished,” Anaïs pipes up, tapping on her phone. “Plus, Rue wants to buy quite a few for her shop.”
I love the enthusiasm.
“I can’t afford to do this on my own. I was hoping to get an advance from the publisher but that won’t happen now.”
“I’m sure we can manage.” Anaïs winks.
I know what she is referring to. I don’t want her to lend me money. That’s not what this is about. Well, sort of, but… that was my dream; to be picked up by a publisher and have my bookstocked in stores around the world. Now, my dream is slipping further out of my grasp.
Silence fills the table; no one knows what to say.
“Thanks for doing this, girls,” I whisper, pushing my noodles around my plate.
“Of course.” Nora gives me a warm smile. “Have you heard from Royce at all?” She swoops in with the question and I shake my head.
“I don’t expect to, either. When I was looking into him I heard he was very stubborn and once his mind is made up then…” I wince. Three days ago, I was imagining my future with Royce, and now I am sitting in a small Chinese restaurant with three friends and no Royce.
“Not that I am making him right,” Anaïs mutters “but he doesn’t mean anything when he is angry. It’s like he has no control over what comes out of his mouth.”
“Not really an excuse, though.” Edel raises a brow and Anaïs nods.
“Oh no, totally.” She laughs. “I’m just saying, he seems to take it out on the ones that mean the most to him. That’s when you know he’s a goner.”
I swallow.
“But honestly,” Nora says, taking over, “I haveneverseen Royce look at anyone else the way he looks at you. It’s like you’re his entirety.”
My heart jackhammers in my chest.
“He never looked at me like that,” Anaïs says.
I always forget they dated. I would never have put the two of them together.
“I think I could have loved him,” I whisper into my lap because saying the words out loud is too painful.
“I truly believe you’re both meant to be together.” Anaïs’s voice is soft.
“Maybe.” I shrug, because how can I tell them that this is well and truly over?
We eat in silence when Anaïs pipes up again. “Oh!” she says a little too excited. “Guess who Kai is dating?”
The sound of a fork hitting a china plate has us all looking at Nora. Anaïs dusts her hands, a proud smile on her face as she giggles softly.
“Gotcha.”
We walk backto my house, soft chatter flowing between the four of us.
“Do you have to leave tonight?” I try my luck again at getting the three of them to stay over.
“Sadly, yes.” Nora sighs. “Plus, we don’t have anywhere to sleep.”
“That is true.” I hum, climbing the three steps to my house.
Fiddling for my keys, my brows furrow when I see the glow from my living room. I didn’t leave a light on. I glance over my shoulder, the three girls stand there smiling like cheshire cats and my heart throbs in my chest.
