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“Not very respectful of your boundaries?”

“Exactly. In hindsight, I can see the multitude of reasons we were never right for each other. I’m not trying to make her jealous, though I do believe she will be. I have made no attempts to reach out. I have successfully avoided seeing her for almost all of the last two years. She, however, finds her ways. On several occasions, she’s made it clear she would like to get back together or hook up. I’m not interested. Nor will I ever be.”

Her grip tightened around the stem of her glass.

“How did you meet?” Ali asked carefully, the tip of her tongue darting out to swipe across her upper lip.

Charlotte sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Well, we move in similar circles. Her father worked with Sasha’s father, so they grew up together. It was a charity gala I didn’t feel like going to. She approached me and we talked the entire night. She has a way of making people feel like they are the center of her universe.” She grazed a thumb over her own lower lip, instead of reaching up further to pluck at her eyebrow. “At least, when she wants them to.”

She couldn’t remember the last time she felt that important to anyone besides her family and Imani.

“How does your family feel about her?”

Charlotte found brown eyes ringed with amber waiting without judgement, just open interest. It washed away some of the sourness coating her tongue.

“I don’t think my mother ever really liked her. Everyone else liked her in the beginning. But now, they all hate her. Lizzie holds a grudge and insists she was never good enough for me. Lilah and Victoria used to get along well. But now, she refuses to even make eye contact with Victoria at events.”

“So everyone pretty much can’t stand her?”

“Pretty much,” Charlotte agreed, leaning forward, forearms resting along the edge of the table. “I’m hoping your presence will help solidify I moved on. Staving off the sympathetic glances and intrusive questions of extended family would merely be a bonus.”

At the time, Charlotte wanted Victoria to be happy... but she never was. Nothing was ever good enough. Charlotte was never good enough, no matter how hard she tried. It seemed like getting married would appease her. But Victoria left her, out of the blue without any real kind of explanation other than to throw all the blame at Charlotte’s feet.

Now, Charlotte thanked her lucky stars Victoria ended things.

“Well,” Ali began, reaching up and toying with the golden locket around her neck again. “Relationships end and sometimes breakups are messy or just downright heartbreaking. I could’ve given her the benefit of the doubt, you know. Maybe she realized you weren’t right? Or maybe she was afraid of commitment? Clearly, she was crazy to let someone like you go. Like, my gods.”

Ali gestured in Charlotte’s direction.

Charlotte wanted to argue and inform Ali she was no good in relationships. Her insecurities on the matter curled around her spine, a bitter note coating her tongue. But something about the way Ali took a steadying breath as she thumbed the face of her locket kept her silent.

“My point is. I could’ve tried to look past her poor decision making. But I can’t look past her disrespect of your boundaries and her seeming inability to understand consent.”

Charlotte couldn’t seem to find a response in the face of the validation Ali offered with her words.

Luckily, the waitress spared her by delivering the entrées. Charlotte thought Ali might vibrate out of her seat if forced to wait much longer. Ali popped a fork full of cream covered noodles into her mouth before the waitress even made it three paces away.

“Okay, I’ve done it,” she sighed, melting back into her seat and waving her fork around in triumph. She touched her lips before her hand pulled away, fingers expanding in a chef’s kiss. “I’ve found the best fucking Alfredo in this city.”

Ali twirled a few noodles onto her fork.

“Try it.” Ali motioned to Charlotte’s idle fork while prepping her next bite. “It’s going to change your life.”

Charlotte bit back on the amused laugh at Ali’s unbridled enjoyment of food. Picking up her utensil, she stretched across the table, spinning a noodle or two onto her fork, cupping her free hand beneath in case they fell as she brought the fork to her mouth, groaning in appreciation as flavor exploded across her tongue.

“Fuck, that’s exceptional, and dangerous.”

Ali’s dimples peeked out. “How’s yours?”

“Let’s see.”

Charlotte dug into her own pasta. The savory fragrance hit her nose just before her taste buds were sent to another dimension.

“My gods, this is heavenly. I definitely win.”

Ali’s brows knit together, head tilting in question.

“How can anything be better than this?”