Page 59 of The Wright Man

"NEOW," Bella chimed in, arms folded like she was cross-examining me.

I'd groaned, already laughing. "There's not really anything to spill. He was... Maleek. I was me. We were us. We slid back into place like he never left." Even as I said it, I was surprised by how true it felt.

Tina gave me the most disrespectful squint imaginable. "Bullshit."

"Language," I teased.

"Two people don't go their whole lives joined at the ass, stop speaking for four years, and then just slide back into place. That's not how human emotion works. We're not Legos."

I shrugged. "Apparently we are."

Bella nodded like she'd already voted. "I believe it. Y'all definitely had the buddy-buddy groove down. But what I wanna know is—" she leaned forward, smirking—"did he slide into anything other than friendship on those sunflower sheets of yours?"

Tina let out a cackle that echoed off the tile. I choked on air.

"Excuse me?!" I sputtered. "Girl, what?"

"You heard me, Ang," Bella grinned.

"You know we've never been like that."

"Maybe not before—"

"—even though y'all definitely wanted to be," Tina jumped in.

"But there was some serious eye-humping going on tonight. On both sides," Bella said. "I just wanted to know if it led to any... actual humping."

"Y'all are insane," I lied. "There was no eye-humping. No real humping. Maleek is my friend. And in case y'all forgot, I'm married."

They stared at me like I grew two heads.

"...to Satan's anus," Tina said dryly.

"Satan's unwashed anus," Bella corrected.

"And you and Maleek have never been just friends," Tina added. "Friends, yes. Just friends? Nah."

I rolled my eyes. "Stop saying 'friends.' It's starting to sound like a fake word," I mumbled.

"Deflection," they said in unison.

"Look," I sighed. "Regardless of the state of my marriage, I'm still very much married. And even if there ever was a time where something could've happened between me and Maleek... that window's closed."

I let the words hang in the air, heavy like fog. "Right now, I'm just happy to have my best friend back. That's enough."

Bella's face softened first. "Okay, if you say so, Angie."

Tina pointed a warning finger at me, pulling me into a hug. "We'll leave it alone... for now. I am glad y'all are cool again though. It was getting real awkward pretending y'all didn't exist to each other."

"Same," Bella said, sliding into the hug.

Group hug achieved, despite my protests... Of course, they couldn't leave it on a sweet note.

"Ten bucks says they're fucking before summer's out," Tina whispered.

"I got twenty on her polishing his rifle by the Fourth of July," Bella snorted.

"Hate y'all," I muttered into Tina's shoulder.