I smiled at my bestie and patted the mound of crunchy hair on top of my head. “This is the first time I’m seeing the damage.”
“Hurry up and get in the shower.”
“I will. Just moving slow.” I asked where my goddaughter was. “Is Preston still doing the victory dance?” A couple of days ago, she’d recorded Dominique calling for “Da” and I had to console my poor friend.
“You know he is. Punk.” She rolled her eyes. “I need to go back in time and make him push her out of his dick.”
Cracking up, I fell back on the mattress. “You’re too much. While you’re at it, bless him with that stretch mark you were complaining about the other day too.”
“I’m sayin’,” she agreed. “All that work, months of waddling and strong ass contractions. Then she turns around and says his name first.”
“Tragic,” I said.
“Enough about me,” she said. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been blowing your phone up. I almost sent Duke to the hotel to check on you.”
“He just left,” I told her.
“Good. We’ve talked about this before. I don’t care what you’re doing, answer the damn phone when I call.”
Everyone knew Dallas hated to be ignored. She gave us all hell for not returning calls. “I know, sis. I just couldn’t look at my phone after everything.”
Her brows pulled together in a frown. “What happened?”
I shrugged. “He didn’t show up.”
“Again?”
“Yeah.”
Dallas bit down on her lip. Although Tristan was her brother, she’d never pulled any punches with me. She’d told me time and again that it was time to close the chapter on that crazy-ass fantasy. “So…?”
“I know what you’re going to say.” It was the same thingIwould say to another woman in my position. But there was something about Tristan and our past that made it hard to let go.
“If you know what I’m going to say, why not just do it?”
“I will,” I promised. “I’m done.”
“Like you weredonewith Dorian?” she tossed back.
That was different. But the same.I’m just fucked up. “I’m done with him too.” I’d already filedandserved the Sixty-Day Notice to Quit. Which he completely ignored, assuming I’d change my mind like I’d done so many times before. “His time is up soon.”
“Good. ‘Bout time.” Her expression softened. “Are you okay?”
Someone once told me that God always sent angels to live among us. For the longest time, I felt like I’d met an angel the day I met Dallas Young. From the moment our eyes locked in fencing class, I knew I’d found a sister. And despite her huge family, she’d treated me as if I’d shared a womb with her. We weren’t connected by biology, but she’d taught me that we didn’t have to be blood to be family. Our bond had only grown stronger over the years.
I cursed the fresh tears that had formed and willed them not to fall. If it were anyone else, I would’ve given my patented “I’m fine” response, but since it was her, I said, “I’m not. But I will be.”
“Need me to come see you?”
I shook my head. “No, girl. I’ll see you next week.” Due to a work conflict, I would miss Ma’s potato salad and Thanksgiving with the family. But I would make it toYoung’Uns Weekend. Every year, we went on an agenda-free trip after the holiday. This time, we’d rented an Airbnb in Aspen. “Don’t let them eat all of the pancakes.”
“I promise.”
We chatted for a few minutes about the holiday, Secret Santa, and Blake’s wedding date drama. When I hung up, I set my phone down and scooted off the bed. I walked toward the huge window and stretched, lifting my arms toward the ceiling, then reaching toward my toes.
A throat cleared behind me. This time I didn’t scream, though, because I knew who it was. I glanced at Duke over my shoulder. He held up a bag. “Breakfast.”
I grinned and walked toward him. “I knew you’d come back.”
