Lola huffs. “Can we even call her respectable?”
I look down at my phone. “Aha, coincidentally, Sadie is beeping in on the other line. I haven’t spoken to her properly since we arrived. Investigate more, and we’ll speak soon.”
“You going to tell her about Jackson?”
I pause. “No. This needs to stay a secret. Who even knows whatthisis yet? Just because we’re best friends doesn’t mean we’re compatible. I’ll talk to you later.”
Lola snickers and says, “Yeah… okay,Mrs. Peters,” and ends the call before I can protest.
I’m going to kill her, I think as I answer Sadie’s call.
“You’re on holiday. You’re not meant to call me, my darling girl,” I answer in greeting, both of us knowing it’s a joke. This weekend is the longest we’ve gone without speaking on the phone in our whole lives, and it’s only been a few days.
“I know.” She sniggers. “So… I’m assuming you knew about the house?”
“I did. Do you like it? Are you there now?”
“Do I like it?” She yells it so loudly, I might have permanent hearing loss in my right ear.
“All right there, killer, take it down a notch.”
“Oh shh, I can’t help but be excited. I don’tlikeit.I freaking love it. It’s beyond amazing, and I didn’t expect this even in my wildest dreams.”
I can’t help but laugh at her surprise. “You’re telling me you’re surprised? The man is utterly infatuated with you, and his love language is giving, so you better get used to it. It seems like you may have a lifetime of them coming your way.”
She breathes a deep sigh. “I know. I never want him to think that I take any of it for granted.”
I take off my heels and pull on the folded blanket Jack had placed outside for me earlier during dinner, getting comfortable. All the while, I talk to my soul sister and take in the most beautiful city and Eiffel Tower views.
“I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I can’t wait to marry this man. I know he’s already mine, but I want to take the last name of my girls officially, and—” she cuts herself off.
“Are you crying?”
“Uh-huh.” She sniffs. “I can’t help it. You know that,” she mumbles.
Everyone in my life has been so sensitive lately. Including me. Maybe Mercury is in retrograde, because I can’t explain it any other way.
“Oh, trust me, I know it, my Sensitive Sadie. But, hey, I’m going to hang up and FaceTime you. I want to see you.”
“Good idea.”
The phone cuts off, then rings once before her beautiful face fills the screen. God, she looks so freaking happy right now. It’s filling my heart up to the max to see my girl so fulfilled.
“Oh my God, Belle, why are you crying now?”
I wipe my tears and grin, taking in her happiness once more. “These are good tears, darling. You look so happy, and as much as I give Wills a hard time, I knew from that first night that you were meant to be together, and that’s saying something because I don’t believe in that love-at-first-sight crap.”
She rolls her eyes. “Please, you wanted me to have a one-night stand, not marry him.”
“Okay, that’s a fair point. You were coming off a breakup, and you know what I say—”
“Yes, yes, I know. To get over is to get under,” she says, faking a British accent.
I shrug unapologetically. “I mean, it’s the only way. Sex is good—no, better than good. It’s the best, most exhilarating feeling in the world, and it’s the only way to get over a man, in my opinion.”
She grins and looks at me warmly. “I love you, Annabelle. You and your slightly slutty ways.”
“Oh! Look.” I turn the screen around so she can see the view of the Eiffel Tower sparkling. It does this on the hour, every hour, starting at dusk. “Doesn’t get old, does it? No matter how many times we see it.”
