“Deal. And for what it’s worth, you don’t look a day over 33.”
Juniper shoved her shoulder and smiled. “I’m definitely feeling a little older than that from sitting on the ground for so long.”
Rowan chuckled and stood up. She held her hand out for Juniper to grab. “We are getting a little old now, aren’t we?”
In reality, Juniper felt more alive than she ever had. Rowan folded the blanket back up, and they trudged their way back up to the truck together.
“Hungry for something sweet?” Rowan asked as she tucked the blanket back into the storage box.
“Always.”
“Gas station ice cream bars?” Rowan offered with a shrug and a knowing look.
Juniper smiled. “Say less.”
Smaller rivers, or headwater streams, converge over the span of a landscape into one pulsing lifeline of a river that flows from inland out to sea. A clash of currents occurs where two rivers fight their convergence into one.
Chapter 10
Already fully dressed and waiting, Juniper watched Wren shuffle her way through the clothes in her closet. They were getting ready to go out to a bar in town for Wren’s 29th birthday, and as usual, she was raiding Juniper’s clothes, shoes, and makeup in preparation. She pulled out a black sheer long sleeve shirt and held it up to herself to show Juniper.
“Can I wear this?” She asked.
“Sure, but you need something under it.”
“No, Junie,” she gasped and rolled her eyes in response, “I was gonna just free nip it out there.”
“Aye, who knows, you might want to show off a little since you’re always complaining about how single you are!” Juniper teased. “Also, you’re being such a Taurus right now.”
“Taurus season, baby,” Wren laughed, and then proceeded to pull every bra out of Juniper’s top drawer.
“Just wait for Scorpio season.”
“Junie, no one waits for Scorpio season. Not even Scorpios.”
“Rude. Completely inaccurate.Whatever.”
“Oh, one thing I forgot to mention,” Wren said as she held up different bra choices. She turned to Juniper and scrunched up her face, “I may have messaged Rowan to invite her…” Before Juniper could find the words to say anything, Wren quickly added, “Don’tbe mad at me! It’s my birthday, and she was my friend too. And I’m trying to see what all the fuss is about.”
“What fuss?” Juniper sharply responded.
“The fuss about how hot she got.”
The fuss?The fuck?Suddenly self-conscious and full of nervous energy, Juniper shot up and adjusted the French tuck of her oversized pale green sweater into her black mini skirt in front of the floor length mirror in her bedroom. She could not believe what she was hearing.
She had spent the last several days trying to process the conversation she had had with Rowan. She hadn’t realized how much of that bitterness she had carried with her, sadness woven throughout her body that turned into resentment over time. She also couldn’t have anticipated the somewhat uncontrollable release ofotheremotions she was feeling, or trying to suppress might be more accurate. She felt a little volatile – she recognized that about herself. So much for her declaration of remaining friends.
She tried to take a steadying breath, but her face went right back to how it was looking before.
“You’re looking like you want to know who the fuss is coming from. I know that face.”
“No, I actually do not,” Juniper shot back.
Wren cut her a side eye as she tucked the sheer shirt into her high-rise black jeans. “Are you still hung up on her?”
“What?” That came out a little more pointed and higher pitched than she intended. A little more like she was telling on herself.
“Oh my god you are,” Wren pointed out in one rambling breath. She faced her directly, former side eye turned into wide eyed blinking, frozen in the middle of tightening her belt.
