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I grabbed up the remote, glancing at the time. It was nearly midnight, and Maeve still hadn’t come home from hanging out with Tyson. It was frustrating, mostly just because I missed my best friend…
And I couldn’t help but wonder if Jackson had said anything to her about us.
The sound of her key in the door made me jump, and I turned to see her come in, looking a little sexed up—which was unsurprising. “Hey, you’re super late. Don’t you have a shoot tomorrow at like five o’clock in the morning?”
She raised her brows at me. “Um, yeah, but since when are you my keeper, Lena?” Her tone was playful, though there was a hint of annoyance there too.
“I was just worried about you, that’s all.”
“I told you I was with Tyson.”
Letting out a sigh, I nodded. “I know. I just…”
“You think we’re moving too fast, I know. We’ve had this conversation a million times since I started seeing him.”
“He’s just…he’s had a lot of girlfriends,” I said quietly. “He strikes me as the kind of guy who falls super hard, and then once the infatuation passes, he’s no longer interested in the relationship.”
“It’s different this time.” Maeve folded her arms across her chest after tossing her purse onto the couch beside me. “You seriously are being so judgy right now. Can you not be happy for me?”
“I am happy for you,” I reasoned. “I’m just…worried. It’s always better to take things slow, you know?”
“You mean like be friends for three years, and then nothing ever happens?”
My mouth dropped open in shock. “That’s a low blow, Maeve.”
“No, it’s not,” she shot back. “That’s the whole problem with you. You’re never willing to just take a fucking chance and fall in love. You want it all done in some kind of perfect fashion—like your parents. You want friendship, then dating, then courting, then love, then engagement, marriage, and then babies. Or whatever.”
“Why are you being so rude?” I snapped at her, hurt and offense filling my chest. “All I want is for you to be careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt, Maeve. You’re my best friend…”
“Yeah, well, I don’t want to see you sit around and wait for Mr. Perfect, who doesn’t fucking exist, Lena. You’ll end up lonely. You think you have to have everything just right, and then even when that kind of guy comes around, it never works out for you.”
“I don’t want to be with someone I don’t feel strong feelings for.”
“But somehow, you want to start out as friends.” She laughed. “To be just friends means that you don’t have strong feelings, and you know what, I think you wouldn’t know intense love if it hit you across the face. You’d probably just think you hated the person or something.”
“Okay, you’re being over-the-top now.” I shook my head, feeling the lump in my throat growing. “Just because I don’t ever have any freaking relationships that ever work out, doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t know it if I loved someone. That’s just…mean of you to say that.”
Maeve let out a heavy sigh, her face softening. “You know what, you’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just that…everyone seems to think that Tyson and I are crazy. But it just—it feels right. I can’t explain it, and you’re my best friend. I want you to support me.”
Guilt thrummed through me. “Ugh. I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to get heartbroken. He’s just rich and famous…it seems like such a big risk.”
She nodded. “I know, it is a big risk…but even if he does break my heart, I think it’s worth it.”
I smiled, admiring her ability to love so fearlessly from the beginning. “Well, then I guess I should just shut up and be happy for you.”
She giggled. “Yeah, let’s do that—and I’m sorry for being such a bitch to you. I know you’re just trying to find a love like your parents have. I admire your tenacity when it comes to sticking to it, I guess…I just don’t want to see you miss out on something really great, just because it’s not what aligns with your ideals.”
I bit my lip but nodded. “Yeah, I don’t want to settle.”
“And speaking of all that…” Her voice trailed off as she plopped down in the armchair across from me. “I have some pretty big news…”
I shifted on the couch, bracing for whatever news she had to share. “Okay…”
“I’m moving in with Tyson.”
I laughed. “You’re joking.”
Her lips fell into a straight line. “Not at all, actually.”
