“Cora, you cannot be serious. That is some bullshit, stupid kid thing we said when we were inmiddle school. That was not real.” I step back inside and take Lainey’s hand in mine.
Cora looks at our hands, and steam is practically coming from her ears. “We are almost thirty. A deal is a deal, Rem!” she shouts at me.
“I’d never make a deal with the devil, Cora.” I shut the door in her face and throw the deadbolt in place. Looking out the front window I see Cora stomp away, get into an old white BMW and zoom off at a speed way too fast for a family neighborhood.
Turning to face Lainey and my own shame, I see nothing but compassion on her pretty face. “Are you okay?” she asks quietly.
“Not really. I had no idea why she was in town, hoped she would just leave and I wouldn’t have to deal with her. But that was beyond anything I would have ever guessed. Cora was always a bit ridiculous and had wild plans, mostly they were silly and harmless. That version of Cora you just saw, that was someone different. She was unhealthy, unstable.” I rub my hand along Lainey’s jawline in a way that has become a habitual comfort to both of us.
“Yeah, that went from zero to unhinged pretty fast,” she agrees. “I think you should call Sutton and warn her. What if Cora shows up to Brooks and Books and bothers her?” Lainey worries, her hand finding the hem of my T-shirt, fidgeting with the fabric.
“We are definitely going to tell her what happened. I will call her right away. I don’t want Cora anywhere near you again or Sutton.” I am mortified that my past literally showed up on my doorstep for Lainey to have to deal with.
“I wonder whatmyeighth-grade marriage pact buddy is up to ...” Lainey teases me.
“What! Who was he?” I playfully growl and spin her in a circle.
Lainey cracks up and says, “Shewas Abbie West, and we made a pact to marry each other because boys were the worst.”
“Oh, really? And what do you think of boys now?” I ask sliding my hand along the back pocket of her jeans and slipping my hand inside.
Grinning, Lainey says, “I still am not a big fan of boys and all the stupid games they play.” She takes her hand and runs it through my short hair. “But I am pretty crazy about onemanin particular.”
“Is that right?” I smirk at her.
“Mmhmm.” Lainey kisses me and makes the warmth and sunshine that Cora dimmed with her sudden appearance shine brightly again.
21
Lainey
The “incident” with Cora was three weeks ago, and we have not seen or heard from her since then. Remington thinks that she is gone and took her crazy elsewhere, but my anxiety won’t let go of it. The whole interaction with her felt so desperate and off. Why would she just show up after all this time and basically throw herself at Remington like that? The man obviously has nothing but disdain for his ex-girlfriend—I have no worries on that front. What actually worries me is her behavior and how Cora was trying to force him into a stupid childhood deal, one that thousands of kids make on playgrounds all the time. Hell, even friends in college make those promises that are a little more serious, butnot really. Desperation and loneliness can make you say and do silly things.
Remington and I have fallen into a sweet routine. Whenever he’s at work I stay at my apartment, but when he’s off we stay at his house. On days I have to work, I set up at his dining room table. It has become my own little home-away-from-home office. We’ve gone on several dates, hung out with Eli and Sutton, Kendra and I have enjoyed our wine night onRemington’s deck instead of her house or my apartment on more than one occasion, and now I am going to meet his parents.
Tonight they invited us over for dinner and I am a nervous mess. My clothing options exploded all over again, but Remington is here to witness my breakdown this time. I did not want him to see my anxiety spiral, but just like with everything else, he knows exactly how to ease my fears and help me walk into his family home with more confidence than I thought I was capable of.
“Lainey, they are going to think you are wonderful no matter what outfit you have on.” Remington stands behind me, rubbing my arms as I look at my reflection in the full-length mirror.
“That’s not true! This is very important. I have to have just the right thing. This is the first impression they will have of me, Remington. I don’t want them to hate me.” Tears are welling and my anxiety is building.
“Jeans versus a sundress is not the make-or-break situation that you think it is. I am partial to that pink sundress though, if you want my unsolicited opinion. I know my parents pretty well, and I think you can trust me.” He kisses my temple, and I take a deep, needed breath.
“I do trust you. I’m really nervous.” My eyes meet his in the reflection.
“I know, it’s okay. But we have to leave in like five minutes, so can we agree on the outfit and head out soon? I promise that I’ll be with you the whole time, and if you get overwhelmed we can leave.” I turn to look at him.
“We cannot justleave!” He silences my protests by running his thumb along my jawline in the way that makes me want to melt like ice cream in his hands.
“Lainey, we can do whatever we want. We are grown adults with free will. If you’re overwhelmed, not having a goodtime, are tired, or just plain and simple are ready to go home, then we come home.” Remington explains this like it’s easy for him to set those boundaries—and stick to them. I know I told him about some of the boundaries I had to put into place in my life, but those took years of therapy and a near mental breakdown.
“Okay, I will wear the pink sundress.” He smiles at me as I finish getting dressed and we finally get going.
Remington was right, of course he was right. We walked into his parents’ house hand in hand. Charles and Renee LeBlanc were everything I hoped they would be and more. They welcomed me with warm embraces, genuine excitement over meeting me, and a meal that was prepared with obvious love. We ate on their garden patio, surrounded by Renee’s stunning flowers and the landscaping that Charles spent years perfecting.
“Lainey, thank you so much for bringing us this lovely bottle of wine,” Renee says to me as she tops off her stemless glass. “I’m going to be picking up a few bottles to have on hand for us! It’s officially my new favorite.”
“Oh, it was the least I could do. I appreciate you having me over. Tonight has been really nice.” I blush looking between her and her husband. They are sitting across from me and Remington at the patio dining table. Our dinner of perfectly seasoned and grilled chicken, fresh salad, homemade bread, and crispy potatoes was delicious. Now we are enjoying the conversation, fresh air, and being in each other’s company.
