“I trust you not to rip it apart with your hands, yeah.”
Daniela beamed while Alyssa ghosted her fingertips over the surface, feeling the texture. “Nayla would love that color combo.”
“It smells perfect,” Alyssa said, holding it up to Daniela. “Is that the oak and vanilla one? It smells a little more… something.”
“You’re perceptive,” I said. “I added the tiniest touch of coffee scent.”
“Oh, wow. It really ties it together.”
She and Daniela leaned close together, admiring it and talking in low voices, both feeling the textured surface, and I found myself staring at Alyssa. She was… feeling better, I was pretty sure. We’d been texting almost non-stop since she’d been over at my place, and I’d been witness to her slowly picking back up since her crash-out over Sawyer’s messages. She’d even come and joined me and Cat in the park one time when I was on break from work, and she’d put some of her new signs to use, learning a couple more from Cat while we were there together. Shared food and drink while sitting on a big picnic blanket under the lush canopy, and she listened to us sharing Paxton Ridge stories in between telling her own stories of job-searching. And it had been clear then that she was getting some light back into her eyes.
She wrapped the candle back up and handed it to me, and she said, “I think Nayla’s going to love it.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I appreciate your help with it.”
“I don’t think I did that much,” she laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head. Daniela nudged her playfully.
“Jade’s not the type to just lavish compliments for the sake of giving them. If she says it, she means it.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Oh, because I’m a mean bitch, is that it?”
Daniela laughed, hands up. “No! It’s because you’re verydiscerning.”
I laughed too, and it felt like it loosened one of the hundred of knots in my chest, getting to laugh about silly things together with Daniela again. “It’s because I’m a mean bitch,” I said, turning back to Alyssa. “But she’s right that I’m a mean bitch, so youcanin fact take it as a real compliment.”
Her jaw dropped. “Jade! Jesus. You are not a mean bitch. You take that back.”
“Alyssa!” another voice called, and I stiffened at the sound—Charlie’s voice. Specifically, the woman who had shut down any chance of Cat getting her way with the Birdhouse, and the one who’d been right at the forefront of spreading all the nasty stories about Cat bullying Drew. Drew had insulated himself from the fallout, but Charlie and I had gotten into a shouting match at one point, when I’d lost my temper arguing over the situation, and I hadn’t seen her since then, which put her right at the top of my list of people I didn’t want to run into here, and here we were.
She came up to the three of us with Linda on her arm, Linda’s permanent scowl softening at the sight of Alyssa and Daniela, and at least she didn’t scowl again when she saw me there. Charlie, on the other hand, suppressed a small flinch when she saw me, but she plastered on a fake smile and turned back to Alyssa.
“Hello, dear,” she said. “Hi, Daniela. I’m so glad you came out to the market after all, Alyssa. Have you found anything nice?”
Alyssa forced a smile, eyes flicking between me and her. She seemed concerned about me and Charlie in a way she wasn’t about me and Linda, which meant… she’d probably heard about the fight. From someone who probably wasn’t taking my side. And she’d still stuck around to talk to me?
“Hey, Charlie,” she said. “Daniela and I actually just got here. We made a beeline for Jade’s table first. But her candles are amazing, so I think they qualify!”
Charlie flashed a thin smile at me. “I’m glad to see you could make it out for this one, Jade.”
“Ah, well…”
Alyssa cut in. “I pressured her into it,” she laughed. “I wanted to get a chance to shop her candles! So you can blame me.”
Charlie gave her an odd smile. “So you two are friends, then?”
“Yeah,” Alyssa said, not missing a beat, and it made something splinter in my chest. Christ, she knew I was a social plague at this point, knew what Charlie thought of me, knew how it could risk her other friendships by being seen with me, and she still described me as a friend without hesitation. Like it was something she was proud of. “I helped her do some candle-making the other day, and it’s such a meticulous process, such a… labor of love. I’m glad I got to be part.”
“Mm…” Charlie looked between the two of us before she settled back on Alyssa. “Well, I’m glad. You really do have a knack for making friends with everyone.”
“Ha. I don’t know why, if I’m being honest,” Alyssa said.
“None of that,” Daniela laughed, nudging her. “It’s because you’re charming! Of course you are, you’re my friend. I wouldn’t claim just anyone.”
“Well,” Alyssa said, standing taller. “Do you mind if I tag along, Charlie, Linda? You can show me your favorites around here? While Daniela is doing a little candle-shopping for our house?”
Linda was on it in a heartbeat. “Let’s get you a scarf from Kim.”
“Oh, we should!” Charlie said, and Alyssa beamed at me.
