“You do. You should definitely ask them. She’s their grandma too. They can help out more,” I say, reading the text from Vaughn again.
“When’s Claudia coming to visit?” Rayna asks.”
“Not for a while,” Noa replies. “She and Shep are looking at houses, not on the mountain. She wants to get that squared away before she starts flying back and forth again.”
“Good. Maybe we can actually visit them. I swear if any more of you bitches move...”
“Not going anywhere. I promise,” I say, smiling at her before I look back down at my phone. I quickly respond to Vaughn’s text.
I hope it’s a good something.
We hope so too.
Shaw will be at my place through
tomorrow afternoon.
Let us know when you’re free.
Out with my girls.
I’ll give you a call later tonight.
Looking forward to it
<3
“Are you texting with your friiiiiend?” Rayna teases. I look up and she’s still standing there in that dress, which is getting uglier by the second. I chew on my lip and look at my phone. Rayna and Noa are two of the best friends a girl could ask for.
It’s taken a herculean effort to not breathe a word about how well Shaw fucked me the night before. It’s even harder not to mention that he comes in the world’s sexiest package deal. Just the thought of Vaughn adjusting his glasses gets me hot. I’m not ready to tell them what’s happening, but it’s getting harder and harder to keep it all this close to my chest. Especially when I haven’t felt this good in almost two years.
“Hypothetically, how would you feel if I started dating again?”
“I would feel great about it,” Rayna says.
“Yeah, you mentioned it before. I am team ‘Brook starts dating again,’” Noa adds.
“Same. Ugh, let me take this off. I’m not buying it. Just come inside.” The three of us crowd into the tight space as Rayna starts to change. “So, you were saying? Did you meet someone? Is this someone whoever you were just texting with that dopey smile on your face?”
“Nothing I ever do is dopey,” I say, instead of answering her question.
I want to come clean, but I know it’s not that simple. The opposite. This is a complicated, fucked-up situation that I know my friends and my sister wouldn’t agree with.
“I—I think Josh broke me.”
“No. Josh absolutely did not break you. You are amazing and whole,” Rayna says.
“Thank you” I say, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. I know she’s trying to help, but this is why it’s hard to talk to people who are trying to be supportive. “Let me say this, ’cause you saying nice things doesn’t change the way I feel.”
Rayna looks hurt at the way I responded to her encouragement, but damn. Denying the way I feel with false positivity isn’t gonna get me anywhere. Noa reaches over and takes my hand. “Keep going, babe. Tell us how you feel.”
“Your girl is having trust issues. Especially when it comes to men who look great on paper. Josh was fantastic on paper.”
“Right,” Rayna says.
“I think I want to give myself permission to just see what’s out there. Not to find the perfect man immediately.”
“Brookie, that’s brilliant,” Rayna says. “I love that idea.”
