Page 88 of Wrecked

She bats her lashes, and I hold the cold glass up to my cheek as I think.

“I do have that adorable strapless white dress I bought last month.” It’s cinched at the waist and falls mid thigh. It’s flirty and sexy, and I’ve been dying to wear it.

“That’s my girl!” Jessica squeals. “Now, I have to figure out what I’m going to wear. It has to be killer in case I run into Adam.”

Suzanne twists her mouth and looks my way.

I turn around and take the glass of vodka back to the bar, pour it in the sink, and ask Noreen to bring them their drinks.

With my hand on my forehead, I walk to the back office and close the door. Dropping into the desk chair, I swivel it around and face the wall. I place my feet on the wall and push off, making the back of the chair hit the desk. With my head rolled back, I look up at the ceiling and sigh.

There’s a creaking sound as the door opens. I lean my head further back to see the upside-down image of Suzanne walking into the office.

“I don’t want to hear it.” I put my head down and stare at my shoes against the wall. “Yes, we fooled around in the woods. Yes, I know it was wrong. No, we’re never seeing each other again because, yes, I know this will kill Jessica, so, no, I won’t be telling her. Yes, I know I’m an idiot. Yes, I know I’m a bad friend. And, finally, no, Adam and I are not together.”

“I was wrong,” she says.

I tilt my ear in her direction.

Her bracelets jangle as she raises a hand to probably pull that wild mane of curls away from her forehead. “I thought this was all part of your obsession with him. That wanting him was only because you couldn’t, and if you had him, it would be more like winning the war you two had waged upon each other. It took me way too long to realize that this isn’t some infatuation.”

I don’t deny it. It would be stupid to.

“Jessica isn’t the only one he turned down. You were right. Nothing good will come of us being together. That’s what happens when you take drugs, right? You get high for a moment, and then you crash. You’ll never fight the urge, and without your next hit, you’re just a junkie searching the streets for it.”

“I’ve never seen you act like this about someone.”

I drop my legs and swivel around. “I want to be superwoman and do it all on my own.” I’m not just talking about Adam anymore.

“You can’t be a one-man band forever, Leah. You’re like the monkey with the drum on his belly and tambourines for hands.”

She’s getting mouthy. I usually like it when Suzanne tells it like it is. Not so much today.

“You’re a walking, talking, traveling party. But where do you go to wind down? Who takes care of you at the end of the day? He’s the one who grounds you. He is the one who plays your stupid license plate game and gets you to build things and buy things for kids without homes. And not because you couldn’t do those things on your own. You’ve always had these great qualities. Adam just happens to be the man who brings out the best in you.”

“You said I should stay away from him.”

“I also said you should talk about Brad.” She pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose and crosses her arms to drive her point home. “You won’t move on unless you talk about the giant elephant in the room.”

“We’ve talked about him.”

“Have you?”

I squint my eyes at her. For someone who was making me feel so bad about myself, she certainly is spinning a different tale.

“What’s changed?”

With a soft shrug, she says, “The way you smile when you look at him. The way he laughs when he talks to you.”

“He rescued Victoria. That girl Kimberly talked about? That was Victoria.”

“Wow.” Her brows rise as she hugs herself. “I feel terrible for not knowing she was doing drugs. I would have done something. I know she has flaws, but she was my friend. Have you seen her since you kicked her out of the bar?”

“No. And I feel awful about it.”

“At least she’s okay. Adam saved her.”

I rub my hands along my face. “He knew I wasn’t lying, and he still kept me to this terrible probation.”