“I know we didn’t know each other until after high school. But I knew of you. You were so motivated back then. I was always so envious that you knew exactly what you wanted. I didn’t even know what shampoo I liked yet.” Blithe frowned at her empty glass.
I smiled but dread coiled deep in my belly. The Kim I was in high school was long gone. I hadn’t been her since before Jethro and rehab. I hated sounding whiny. I was fine being where I was. I was pretty happy—mostly.
“I’m just glad that you’re safe,” Suzie said.
Suzie had been taken by a violent biker gang once and, understandably, still carried that with her. I squeezed her foot. She looked up and we shared a smile.
“Me too. I mean, I guess I was taken, but platinum style,” I teased.
“I had my doubts,” Roxy said. “Who just whisks you off to their mansion in the mountains with a large underground crypt that was converted to a lair?”
“It was never a crypt, and it’s not a lair now. It’s a music room. It’s amazing,” I said.
“Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.” Roxy flipped out a hand.
“Still, I doubt a kidnapper would invite your closest friends to hang out and eat fancy finger foods,” Gretchen said. “I have more questions.”
“Of course you do,” I said.
“I thought we hated Devlin?” Gretchen said.
“I never said that. I said he was tough.”
“And he’s not anymore?” Suzie asked.
“No, no. He’s still prickly.” His tough guy act had always seemed so thin to me. Even when he yelled, it was like he was scared.
“But?” Roxy asked.
“But what?”
“I felt a ‘but’ coming,” she said.
“Me too,” Blithe added.
“There’s a joke there that I’m not gonna touch.” Gretchen picked at a cuticle.
“Okay, buuut,” I dragged out the word. I debated sharing what he said about me inspiring him, but was worried it wouldn’t mean the same to them out of context. “It’s nice to be challenged sometimes. If that makes sense.”
“Totally,” Suzie said on a wistful sigh.
Gretchen threw a grape at Suzie’s head. “Ugh. Nobody wants to hear from you.”
“Why? What did I do?”
“You’re all fresh and in love and it’s a little much, to be honest.” Gretchen’s words were sharp, but she had been the one to push Suzie when Ford was fighting for her.
“Haters gonna hate,” Suzie said.
“Taters gonna potate.” Blithe nodded.
“I feel like we are talking about potatoes a lot tonight,” I said.
“We are all so very classy,” Suzie said. “We definitely deserve to be here.”
The room filled with laughter. Having the girls here was just what the doctor ordered. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. I thought again about what Devlin shared with me earlier, and how he needed success. It wasn’t just about what held me back anymore. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? Me helping him wouldn’t really change anything for me, but it could change everything for him. Give him what he wanted. Maybe I owed that to the universe.
“Time’s up, ladies.”
