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I can’t help but smile as I read his message. Something like delight flowing through my veins at the thought of him being equally miserable at the idea of spending the night away from me.
“Please tell me that’s Ash making you grin at your phone like a fool and not some stupid TikTok,” Mal calls from the living room. “My faith in my ability to pick good men has been shattered, and that would go a long way towards restoring it.”
I don’t know whether it’s her voice or the mention of Ash’s name, but I jump so hard I almost drop my phone. When I manage to catch it, I put it on the counter face-down and give Mal a tight smile, which she takes as confirmation that I was texting Ash.
“I knew you guys would hit it off.” She yells from the couch. “So when are you two going out again?”
I give her a noncommittal shrug as I pull her food out of the microwave and grab a fork. As I head into the living room, I roll my shoulders back and try to look like I’m not about to lie right to her face.
“Mal, we can talk about Ash at any time.” How about never? That sounds good to me. “I think it’s more important for you to tell me why you were sitting on my front porch crying.”
She takes the plate from my hand and frowns. “You threatened to take my key if I kept showing up unannounced.”
“We both know that’s not what I’m talking about.” I roll my eyes at her obvious deflection and head back to the kitchen to grab the wine and glasses I left on the counter. Sitting down beside her, I fill them and set the bottle on the coffee table. “What happened with Chris? How long have you known he was back in New Haven?”
Mal picks up her wine and takes a long drink. “He called me like two months ago out of the blue, saying he was moving back and he wanted to see me. I told him I would rather wear the same wig for the rest of my life than spend a minute in his presence.”
I snort. “How did he even have your number? I thought you guys hadn’t spoken in years.”
“He reached out to Mama when Eric died, and she gave him my number, talking about I would love to him hear from him.”
The days and weeks following Eric’s death are a blur for me. Full of phone calls, text messages, notes, and cards from people I didn’t know at all or hadn’t seen or heard from in years. Death brings all sorts of people out of the woodwork, so it isn’t surprising that Chris reached out.
“And were you happy to hear from him?”
She sets her plate on the table and lays her head in my lap. “Yeah, I was. He was there for me when I needed him.”
Okay, now I’m confused. I thought Mal was still angry with Chris over the way he left her when we were in college. Now she’s telling me there’s a whole other layer to their story I missed when I was too out of my mind with grief to function.
“So what happened?” I run my fingers over her hair. “Why are you so angry with him now?”
“Because he left me again, and now he’s back like it’s supposed to make a difference. But I just can’t…”
“Trust him.” I finish for her, and she nods. “What did he say when he caught up to you tonight?”
“The same thing he said when he called me a month ago. He’s sorry. It’s different this time. If I give him another chance, he won’t hurt me again.”
I think back to the self-assured man who sat beside me at dinner tonight. The way he said Mal’s name. The sincerity piercing through the storm clouds in his eyes before he went after her. I don’t know if Mal can trust them, but I know his feelings for her are real. Whether or not that will stop him from fucking everything up again, I can’t say.
“Do you think he meant it?”
Mal yawns and closes her eyes. “I think he thinks he meant it.”
“You staying here tonight?”
She peeks at me through one eye. “Yes, but I’ll take the guest room because I don’t want to know what kind of shape your sheets are in right now. Jasmine once told me that Ash gets real messy when he comes.” She giggles at my scrunched up nose. “Homegirl, practically lived in the laundry room when we were suite mates.”
“First of all, I don’t know what’s more upsetting: Jasmine sharing that information with you or you relaying it to me so nonchalantly. Second of all, I’m a bit bothered you think I would have unprotected sex with a complete stranger after one date. Third of all, and this is probably the one that has me most upset, how dare you suggest I don’t change my sheets after sex?”
I mean technically I haven’t had sex yet, but Dom made a point of stripping the bed down and putting on fresh sheets last night while I soaked in a bath he ran for me. My heart twists at the thought of going up to my room and laying in bed without him. I doubt I’ll be able to get any sleep tonight.
It’ll be good practice for when this is all over.
Mal sits up, cackling like a madwoman. “It was girl talk, Sloane! And there’s nothing wrong with sleeping with someone after one date. Hell, I don’t think it’s an issue to have unprotected sex as long as you both can prove you’re clean and you’re on birth control.” She pauses, looking thoughtful for a moment. “I don’t have a response for that last one, but I’m glad your hygiene is on point.”
I toss a pillow at her head and jump up off the couch. Her laughter echoes off of my back as I walk to the kitchen and pick my phone up off of the island. “You sure you need to stay the night? Seems like you and your smart mouth are okay to me.”
She sticks her tongue out at me. “I’m okay, but I’d still like to stay over if you don’t mind. Our dinner got cut short, and I want to spend some time with you.”
