Erica came around the counter and grabbed her hand. “Bitch, are you married? I see that band.”
“Let’s wait for Sarah and Joanna to get here and I’ll explain.”
“Oh. My. God. You’re married,” Shae spun away dramatically.
“Hi Sloan,” Xeni said, trying to ignore the flailing of her other friends.
“Hey,” her friend laughed.
“Did she know?” Meegan yelled.
“What are you talking about?” Xeni casually shrugged off her jean jacket.
“Yeah, you seem awfully calm, Sloan. What gives?” Keira said.
“My role in this was strictly medical.”
The doorbell rang, giving Xeni the out she needed. “Just wait, like, five whole minutes and I’ll tell you all everything.”
“I can’t believe you told Sloan when I, your best friend, am sitting right here. I am hurt,” Meegan said.
“I’m her best friend,” Sarah said, walking into the kitchen. She handed Keira a bottle of champagne.
“No, me,” Joanna said, walking into the kitchen behind her. “Who are we talking about?”
“Xeni. This ho went and got married,” Shae said.
“Why doesn’t everyone grab a drink, we’ll watch the first half of the episode and then I’ll tell you what happened,” Xeni said, knowing it would never work.
“Or you tell us what happened right now,” Meegan replied. “I can’t believe you did this to me. Now I’m the only single one left. We were supposed to die together, old and bitter in each other’s arms.”
“Oh, we still will. Let’s get lit and I’ll tell you all about it.”
An hour later, Xeni had gotten the whole story out. She told them the details of her birth, her extensive inheritance, Sable’s zany scheme to get her and Mason together and how that had fallen apart. The girls had listened intently, asking all the right questions, saying all the right things that she’d wanted her friends to say.
“So, you guys are going to dissolve the marriage in a few weeks?” Shae asked.
“Yup. He’s staying in Scotland.”
“I mean, you’re a rich bitch now. You could go after him,” Erica suggested.
Xeni shook her head. “We didn’t end things like that. I would be in the way, but I think—I mean, I get it. Sometimes you only have room in your head to process so much, and with his parents and shit? I think he’s at his limit. My going there wouldn’t be romantic. It would be selfish. Plus, I am not in a good place.”
Sloan reached over and squeezed her hand. “It’s okay to be feeling a lot of things right now. I mean, you didn’t just have a wild and wacky teen adventure. You lost someone close to you, then you found out some serious family secrets and fell for someone all at once. And the money, too? It’s a lot to process.”
“Yeah, maybe don’t up and run off to Scotland,” Sarah said.
“I won’t. Seems like now would be a great time to start seeing a therapist.” Xeni paused, noticing that Meegan had fallen silent, her lack of poker face telegraphing her obvious distress. “Meegs, what’s wrong?” Meegan shook herself like she’d been caught and schooled her features.
“Oh, nothing. Just thinking. Go on.”
“That’s it. I wait until the thirty days are up, sign some divorce papers and get on with my life,” she shrugged.
“Let me see the pictures again?” Joanna asked. Xeni handed over her phone.
“Jesus. You guys look so cute together.”
“Salt the wound a little more, dear. It feels so good.”
