Page 99 of Slow Burn

Tonight, though, they were coming to her apartment, and she was positive the conversation would be about nothing but what happened with Elijah.

The number of times she replayed the breakup was exhaustive, but maybe her friends would have some advice.

Sophie was the first to arrive.

“Men suck,” her best friend announced once they were seated on the couch. She pulled Georgia in for a snuggle. “I’m sorry you’re hurting, but it will get better. I promise.”

Promises didn’t mean much to Georgia at the moment, but with her head resting on Sophie’s shoulder, she was grateful for her friend.

The doorbell rang, and Sophie shouted that the door was open.

“I come with wine and pizza,” Anna declared as if that solved any problem.

Locking the door behind her, she came into the living room, where she dropped the food on the coffee table before heading into the kitchen. When she returned, she had a wine opener.

“Screw wineglasses,” Anna told her as she screwed off the top of the wine bottle.

This made Georgia smile. It was a small one, barely visible, but it was there.

Sophie gave her a tight squeeze before scooting a few inches so they had space to eat. “Do you want to tell us what happened?”

“Or do you want the station’s version?” Anna added. “And I promise in this version Elijah is such an asshole.”

“No.” Sophie shook her head. “We are not talking about the station unless it is part of George’s story.”

Anna took a swig from the bottle.

Georgia grabbed the bottle from Anna and took a healthy sip. “Before I get started, sharing a bottle is a good way for us to get sick since we are passing germs.”

“Noted, Doctor,” Anna told her as Sophie confiscated the bottle from Georgia. “Now start talking.

“Elijah wanted to try being exclusive, and it was going well, fantastic even. We were talking about everything and anything. We connected. Whether we were lying in bed reading or out for dinner, it didn’t make a difference. Every moment was special. Sacred. Just being with him was all that mattered, and we spent so much time together.”

“Girl, he gave you a key,” Sophie pointed out.

Anna nodded. “And I saw the screen saver on his phone. It was a picture of you.”

This was news to Georgia.

“Plus, you gave him your virginity. That’s huge!” Sophie added.

“The sex was unbelievable. Some days, I wasn’t sure if I could walk straight. And the orgasms? I’m talking multiple orgasms in a day.” Georgia blushed as she shared the intimate details. “None of it mattered. Unbeknownst to me, things were not as great as I thought.”

No matter how many times she dissected it, things were amazing—until they weren’t.

“When I went to the station to see him and bring snacks for the crew, it was like he shut me out. That morning, we literally had sex against his living room wall, and that night, he was ready to call it quits. He dragged me into his closet of an office and told me he knew I was going to expect more, that I deserved better, and that his job is dangerous, which means he can’t think long term. It was complete crap, and I told him I was done.”

“Good for you!” Sophie gave a small smile. “You do deserve better, someone who can give you their all.”

Georgia groaned. “That’s the worst part. He asked for us to slow down. How much slower can we go? It’s taken him what, six months, to even accept dating? Screw that! I told him I wasn’t waiting around, and I’m not.”

Anna was quiet.

“What are you thinking?” Georgia asked, wondering what kept her friend suspiciously quiet.

She winced, like Georgia wasn’t going to like what she had to say. “You had your first fight, and it ended with a breakup?”

“A well-deserved breakup!” Sophie countered with annoyance. “She doesn’t need to worry about him. She needs to move on and find someone else.”