“So what? We do lunch sometime?” Blythe’s tone dripped with sarcasm.
“Yeah, that would be good.” Ricki either didn’t notice Blythe’s attitude or was playing dumb. Abby would guess on the latter.
“This is bullshit.” Blythe slammed her hand on the counter.
Abby pushed back her chair and stood, feeling self-conscious being the only one sitting. Ricki glanced at her, and her gaze traveled the length of Abby’s body. When Ricki’s wide eyes met Abby’s, Ricki’s head snapped around toward Blythe.
Another miscalculation. Abby had worn a tight tank top and a pair of shorter-than-normal shorts. No doubt, Ricki had noticed.
“Did you hear me?” Blythe said louder. “This is bullshit.”
“I heard you,” Ricki said. “You just don’t understand.”
Blythe’s face turned crimson. “Then explain it to me like I’m five.”
“Fine. Do you really want to hear it?”
“Lay it on me.” Blythe puffed out her chest and slapped her palms against it.
“Tone it down…Dykonic.” Ricki stood taller, making herself look bigger.
“Enough!” Abby yelled, surprising herself.
Blythe and Ricki looked at her with shocked expressions on their faces.
“This is what I didn’t want to happen,” Abby said. “You two fighting because of me.”
“We’re not fighting because of you,” Blythe said. “We’re fighting because of her.” Blythe pointed at Ricki.
Instead of matching Blythe’s anger, Ricki’s shoulders slumped. Abby studied her, noticing the deep circles under her eyes. She looked exhausted. Abby wanted to wrap her in a hug but knew she couldn’t.
“Let me see if I can help you understand.” Ricki spoke in a measured tone. “You and Abby need relationship-building time without me hanging around while I work on my own shit. My screwed-up job for one. We all just need some space.”
“What space does Abby need?” Blythe shot back.
Ricki looked at Abby, and her sad eyes penetrated all of Abby’s defenses. “I don’t know. That’s for Abby to determine.”
Abby wanted to proclaim she needed no space, but she knew it wasn’t true. Did Ricki know, or at least suspect, Abby’s feelings? Was this Ricki’s motive all along? Was Ricki being chivalrous by not embarrassing Abby or drawing Blythe’s attention to the truth?
“She’s right,” Abby said in a low voice.
Blythe frowned at Abby. “Whose side are you on, anyway?”
“All of ours.” Abby’s shoulders slumped. She felt as exhausted as Ricki looked. “I want us all to be okay. If we need this to get to the other side, then I support Ricki’s decision.”
“Wow! So it’s you two against me now. Great.” Blythe crossed her arms over her chest.
“Nobody’s against anyone,” Ricki said. “Sometimes people must make hard choices. At least for a while, to let things calm down. Right themselves.”
“For fuck’s sake.” The vein in Blythe’s neck throbbed. “It was sex. It doesn’t require a shit ton of soul searching. That’s the problem with you two literary brainiacs, you overthink everything. It was fun. Sexy. And it’s over. Move the fuck on.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do.” Ricki’s voice was low. She looked at Abby. “Can’t you explain it to her?”
Abby searched for a hidden meaning behind Ricki’s words. Did she want Abby to confess what had happened after Blythe fell asleep? No, that was just Abby’s guilt talking. Ricki was just asking for reinforcements.
“I think I should go,” Abby said. “I planned to call in sick to work tomorrow morning, but I think it’s better I leave.”
“No,” Blythe said.
