“I’m sorry to just drop in without calling. I was out walking Milo and wanted to come see how things were going, you know, after everything.” I hadn’t talked to Kaia since that night she took me home. “You know, how’s Daisy? How’s… work?”
She smiled. “Daisy’s good. She’s becoming a really good friend.” After the mention of Daisy, her smile fell, and it had me worried. “Work on the other hand, I… uh… quit the night you left.”
My eyes shot up to hers. “Wait, what? Kaia, you can’t quit. You love working there.”
She sighed. “I did, but I couldn’t take it anymore. She didn’t appreciate everything I did for her. After I took you home, I tried to be nice and be there for her, like I always do, and we got into a big fight, and I finally snapped. I’ve never yelled at anyone before, Blair. I still feel guilty about it, but she needed to hear it. She ruined her relationship with Skylar because of her commitment issues, and now she ruined her relationship with you?—”
“Woah, Kaia. I don’t think we had a relationship. I mean, yeah, I was in love with her, but I don’t know how she felt. We never talked about it aside from our initial conversation and our conversations about not telling Cara.”
She scoffed. “It’s not my place to say—you two need to have that conversation if that's what you want to do—but your feelings were not one-sided. Everyone could see it.”
I didn’t respond to that. I didn’t have it in me to ask more. “I’m sorry things got this messy, Kaia, and I’m sorry we brought you into it.”
She frowned. “It’s not your fault. I should havestood up for myself a long time ago. She’s not a bad person, though. She just needed some tough love, and she needed to know I was serious.”
I knew she wasn’t a bad person. The total opposite, actually. Things would have been a lot easier if she were a piece of shit.
“Oh, before I forget, I brought you something.”
She looked at me, puzzled, and I smiled. “I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done. Taking me home that night and helping with all the signings in the past. I know working with the two of us hasn’t been the most pleasant experience. I made you some snickerdoodle cookies. Drea told me once that you liked them.” I shrugged.
“All signs point to love,” she said, reading the cover of a sapphic romance novel I picked out at the store.
“Well, I always see you signing with Daisy, so I picked this book up a while ago. It’s a romance novel, and the main character is deaf. I’m sorry if you don’t like it. I can take it back.”
She shook her head, a slight glossiness in her eyes. “No, no, it’s amazing, all of this. I… thank you, Blair.” She came over and gave me a hug and I leaned into the warmth.
“I’m sorry things got shitty,” I whispered. My eyes burned as she squeezed me tighter.
“Me too.” She pulled away and wiped at her own tears. “I’m sorry things turned out the way they did. I hope everything with Cara works out. She should come around eventually.”
I really hoped so…
I was heading for the door when she stopped me. “Oh, Blair?”
“Yeah?” I turned back around.
“She really cares about you. I’ve never seen her like that with anyone else. I just wanted you to know.”
My smile disappeared at the mention of Drea. I cleared my throat. “Goodbye, Kaia.” I turned and walked out the door.
As I was stepping into the elevator, a familiar young woman was getting off and startled when she saw me. I had only seen her a few times, and I smiled before waving to her as she passed me. She returned the gesture and headed down the hall.
I didn’t have a specific direction in mind once I left, so I just mindlessly strolled down the street. I had missed seeing Kaia so often, and it was good to see her again, even if the circumstances weren’t ideal.
My thoughts, of course, took me back to Drea, as they always did. I hated to admit that I missed her. I had to wipe away the tears that were threatening to wash me away right there on the sidewalk. I had to stop giving her the power to break me with just a memory.
I finally pulled myself together long enough to take a look at my surroundings, and I had to chuckle at myself. Even in my mindless wandering, I still ended up in front of Cara’s office.
I wasn’t foolish enough to go in, but I stood there for a few seconds, letting the memories of our friendship and partnership wash over me.
I would have reacted the same way had the roles been reversed. I held our friendship so close to my heart, but all I did was prove the opposite. I showed her that all those years meant nothing to me, which couldn’t have been further from the truth.
I didn’t know how I was going to make it up to her, but I knew I had to try. I had to get her to talk to me one way or another, but I would wait until after the signing. I would give her some time and space to think. Maybe when I got back from spending time with my brother, then we could talk.
I had done everything I could think of to forget about the signing. It would have been a lot easier if it wasn’t part of my job and livelihood.
Eloise and I had been in constant communication, making sure everything was finalized. Anytime I asked about Cara, she would immediately change the subject, and I stopped asking after a while.
