Goldie shoots me a guilty look and nods.
“Damn,” Erin says.
I swallow. “With a boyfriend.”
“…boyfriend,” Erin repeats.
Goldie looks at me like she wants to teleport backward ten minutes.
Ava’s hand comes to her chest. “Oh no.”
Erin sits up straight. “No. Absolutely not. I reject the premise,” she says. “They don’t get to have joy at Windhaven. That place is ours.”
Ava leans in. “Are we talking ‘matching outfits’ boyfriend or ‘we met last week’ boyfriend?”
“How do we tell the difference?” I ask. “They looked pretty cozy, but I got the impression she was upset that he brought her to our family resort.”
Erin points at me. “There’s your in.”
“I’m…not sure I want an in.”
I feel all of their eyes on me.
Goldie nods. “That’s fair.” But she looks like she doesn’t believe me.
“Even if you don’t want her back, it still stings,” Ava adds.
Erin slaps her hand on the table. “Okay. So here’s what we’renotgoing to do. We’re not going to spiral. We’re going to conveniently look like our hot selves at all times and be the epitome of cheerfulness, as if they do not affect you one iota.” She holds up her hand. “And we’redefinitelynot going to let this affect the integrity of the cheese curds. They’re fresh, and they should not be wasted.”
She pops one in her mouth.
Goldie nods solemnly. “The curds did nothing wrong.”
Erin leans forward, eyes sharp now. “But wearegoing to reframe this situation.”
“That sounds illegal,” I say.
“It’s emotional sanity.”
Ava, gentler but just as firm: “Right. You didn’t lose. Someone else just signed up for…her issues.”
Goldie points at her. “Correct. And if she could ever leave you, she was never worthy of having you.”
I look at them, all three offended on my behalf. My chest does that tight, warm thing.
“I wasn’t even going to say anything,” I admit.
Erin scoffs. “And deny us the opportunity to be emotionally supportive? Not to mention aggressively physically supportive if need be? Rude.”
Goldie raises her drink. “To Tully. Rising above.”
Ava lifts hers. “To better things.”
Erin clinks last. “And to that boyfriend. May he one day realize what kind of personality marathon he signed up for.”
I huff a laugh but then sigh, thinking of Lola. She had the best personality. I was ready to sign up for life.
Erin’s head tilts, and her eyes narrow on me. “Oh my God. You do want her back.”
