Page 27 of Life, Love, and Other Messes

I didn’t. “I kind of broke up with someone and I suspect she still hangs out with them.”

“And it’d be awkward. How long were you together?”

“Five years.”

“Jesus…That’s practically a marriage. May I ask what happened?”

Then I did it. For some reason, the words came out uncensored, and I spilled it all. How Veronica had pretended to leave town. How I’d seen her at the grocery store. How she was dating Ally, who had been our friend.

Instead of leaning away with a dropped jaw, sorry she’d asked, Lisa cocked her head at the sidewalk in front of us and listened quietly, with barely a murmur a couple of times. When I shrugged to suggest I was finished, she finally nodded. “Well, that’s something else.”

“It’s quite fucked up.” I kept my voice nonchalant, but hearing the story out loud for the first time since I’d told Catherine made my stomach hurt.

“That actually sounds like an awesome premise for a book, but—”

“My editor would totally reject it because it’s crazy.”

Lisa grinned. “I was about to say. So do you know why she did that instead of just breaking up with you?”

I really didn’t want to get into that. “I apparently have a reputation for not taking things so well.”

“Huh.” She still did not seem at all horrified. “It sounds more like she doesn’t have the balls to deal with anything tricky.”

“She’s a lawyer. She’s got balls.”

“Well, apparently not in real life.”

I smiled. “I guess.”

Lisa nudged my elbow, grinning. “You seriously suck at softball?”

I’d mentioned that, too. “I’m terrible.”

“I played in college. I could coach you.”

“Please don’t even try.”

Now, she laughed out loud. “Point taken.”

“So who do you hang out with? The furry teacher?”

“Sometimes. The preschool crowd is going to dinner tomorrow night.”

I felt a pang of totally inappropriate jealousy and squashed it best I could. “That’s good. A nice bitch session is always good.”

“Yeah. We haven’t been for a while.” We were back to Lisa’s house by then. “I guess I should probably finish this.”

“Yeah, Ollie would kill me if we made another loop around.”

Lisa bent to scratch Ollie behind the ears. “You did a good job, old man. You need a nap now.”

“Yeah, he’ll get up on the bed and ignore me all evening. Hey…”

She looked back up at me quizzically. Apparently, my tone was more serious than I intended. “Yes?”

“If you ever want to come over or go on a walk or something let me give you my number.”

“Sure, that’d be great.” Lisa slid her phone out of her pocket and punched in the digits as I gave them to her. “Now you take mine.”