Page 35 of All I Feel

“Yes. Of course.”

“So, you’d want to be there for her and hear all theharrowing details of a disturbing and traumatic breakup of hers, right?”

“Lark, I don’t think?—”

“Hang on, Tessa. I want to know what Georgia thinks and how she feels about her best friend.”

Georgia didn’t hesitate. “I’d do anything for my best friend.”

Offering up a proud smile, Lark sat a bit taller in the chair and said, “So, you won’t mind if Tessa shares with me now before my next client comes in, right?”

Georgia shook her head, her smile matching Lark’s. “Not at all.” Her eyes slid to mine. “Did you really go through a disturbing and traumatic breakup?”

I sighed. “Yes.”

“What happened? I apologize if I’m overstepping. I feel like an expert on this topic. My best friend went through something terrible, too.”

Lark took the worst of it off me and shared, “Her ex was cheating on her for six of the eight months they were together.”

Georgia’s eyes rounded. “You’re kidding!”

I shook my head and got back to work on Georgia’s nails. “No, she’s not. I found out last weekend and finally took the time to talk about it with him this past weekend. Let’s just say that was enlightening.”

“And before my client arrived this morning,” Lark began. “Tessa told me that this guy actually believes they can still work things out.”

Flicking my gaze up to Georgia, I noted she looked as shocked as both Lark and Ace had been when I’d told them. The disbelief was hard to control. “He wants to stay together after cheating for six months?” she asked.

“Ridiculous, isn’t it? Even more so when you learn that he was cheating with his ex-girlfriend the entire time.”

Georgia gasped as Lark sat back in her chair, settling in. “That’s about as far as the details got for me this morning before I had to get to work. So now, I’m interested in learning how the rest of that conversation went. I presume you told him that working things out wasn’t an option, right?”

I finished Georgia’s pinkie and finally reached for the clear topcoat. After getting started on the opposite hand, I said, “Oh, I told him. He just wasn’t thrilled with the idea.”

“It figures. Men screw up like that and think they can just pretend like it never even happened. This isn’t Servpro.”

I let out a laugh, loving that my friend could make light of a situation that had been so heartbreaking for me. “Tell me about it. Anyway, I explained that there was no chance for us, but he refused to listen.”

“How… How is that possible?” Georgia asked. “I mean, what does refusing even look like in a situation like this?”

“Evidently,” I began with a roll of my eyes. “It means saying that you understand why I need some time, telling me you’ll give me some, and promising not to let me go.”

“Oh, boy,” Lark muttered, not an ounce of amusement in her tone. “This sounds like it’s going to be a blast.”

“Ryan’s insistent that we’re going to be together. That I’m going to want what we had back in my life. He fully intends to try to convince me of that.”

“What are you going to do?”

I moved to apply the topcoat on Georgia’s last two fingers. “Nothing. Not now, anyway. I’m moving on with my life, and just like me, he’s going to have to get over it.”

“Wow,” Georgia marveled.

“That’s my girl,” Lark declared proudly.

I finished Georgia’s nails and got her drying. While she waited, I cleaned up my area and saw Lark watching me.

“What?” I asked.

“Are you okay? I’m proud of you for all that you’ve shared, but I know this can’t be easy on you.”