MACEY: Thinking about you.
MACEY: Are you okay?
I stared at the screen, and a wave of guilt washed over me.
I hadn’t answered her or Tyler since leaving Big Bear.
I’d let the messages sit unanswered for so long that it felt extremely weird to respond now. Surely they thought I was a horrible friend.
But something in me longed to reply. I wanted, for a moment, to believe that maybe they’d forgive me for not replyingafter so long.
MACEY: You don’t have to explain why you’ve been gone. I just miss you.
My throat tightened. I really did miss her and Tyler.
I didn’t have plans for the rest of the day, and the fear and stress about the interviews were only going to build if I didn’t distract myself with something.
I reached for the phone. My fingers hovered, and then finally moved.
HOPE: I’m actually in Big Bear.
HOPE: Do you want to meet up?
Three dots appeared immediately, and her text arrived a few moments later.
MACEY: STOP RIGHT NOW.
MACEY: You really are?????
MACEY: I’M CALLING TY.
A second later, I got another text in our Flossy Posse group chat.
TYLER: Hope! Are you back in town?
TYLER: We should meet up!
I felt something in my chest go warm. I’d responded, and they really didn’t hesitate to reply.
I felt something sting in the corners of my eyes. I reached up to wipe at the tears that had sprung, a little caught off guard.
HOPE: I’d love to see you both.
MACEY: Velvet Anchor for Karaoke night????
MACEY: We can meet you around 6:00?
HOPE: I’ll be there.
The snow was coming down pretty hard that evening. The whole drive to Main Street, I gripped the steering wheel. My heart was doing huge jumpstarts when the tires on Mason’s crappy Honda hit patches of ice, and I went sliding for a second or two until I gained traction again.
I hated driving in the snow. And I hated parking.
The Velvet Anchor was packed despite the horrific weather conditions. Cars lined the street, and I had to park farther away than I wanted, which immediately made me grumble.
I sat in the driver’s seat for a moment, hands still on the wheel.
I forced myself out into the cold when I could no longer justify just sitting there.
