“Now, this is where the real party’s at.” Kate brushed beside her. “How’s the cake, Junie?”
“Good,” Juniper chirped.
“Do you have a minute to talk?”
Abby nodded. “Sure.” She grunted as she set Juniper on the ground, high-fived her, and sent her skipping back to Dylan.
“It’s crazy that I haven’t seen you with Junie before.” Kate smiled. “She adores you.”
“She just likes that I let her do whatever she wants.”
“You’re cute with her.”
Abby nodded, her lips drooping. She didn’t know when she had become so pathetic, but simply being around Kate wore her down.
“What did you want to talk about?”
Kate’s eyes darkened, no longer adoring Abby’s bond with Juniper, but back to the apprehension from Las Vegas. In fact, Abby knew the question before Kate even said it. They never needed many words. “The pills—”
“Are gone.”
She hated lying. She was a pro at deflecting, but she was mostly honest. And with Kate, there was no other way. Lying to her only reinforced that she was floating in dark waters, just like her thumb rubbing the pill in her pocket.
“You promise?” Kate searched her gaze, so close to the truth that Abby squirmed.
“I promise.” She cleared her throat. “Shouldn’t you be with Bryan?”
Kate tightened her jaw, resisting a laugh. “You know his name is Ryan.”
Abby smirked. “I just assumed it was short for something.”
They eyed the dance floor side by side. Typically, the right mix of pills and booze numbed the pain and blunted the rest. Except with Kate. Even drugs couldn’t stop that flutter, the rapid banging in her chest, or the childish need to crawl into her.
“I’ve been feeling a little guilty.”
“About the kiss?” Abby whipped her head to her in panic. “Did you tell him or—”
“No. And it’s not the kiss,” Kate said with a sigh. “Spending the night together.”
“We didn’t do anything.”
“Yeah, but I think sex might’ve felt less intimate.”
“Oh, now you tell me.” Abby chuckled. She nudged Kate’s shoulder. “Don’t feel guilty.”
Kate kept her stare trained on the dance floor. “I talked to Dani. She’s sweet. Pretty. She seems good for you.”
“Yeah, she is.” Abby gulped more of her drink. “Ryan is nauseatingly perfect, huh?”
“Stop.”
Kate’s back clenched at that word. Perfect. Abby knew she might react that way, but didn’t intend to ridicule her. Not during what could very well be their last time together. After this, it would just be weddings and babies, and perhaps not even that. Abby didn’t know if she could bear to do it again. As she fingered the pill in her pocket, she didn’t know if she’d even be around to do it again.
“I’m sorry,” Abby whispered. “I’m just having a hard time knowing this is it.”
“We can still be friends.”
Abby shook her head. “You know that’s not true.”
