Page 91 of The Other Room

“Oh, I’m soooo done trying. My trust train is barreling down the tracks as well. Maybe it will run into yours somewhere along the way.”

Jenna laughed, but then shook her head. “I’m serious, Jo. Don’t do what I did. Don’t give up. So, Matt turned out to be a piece of shit... which I’m still having a hard time believing my superpower failed, but let’s just say it did. So, he’s an asshole, but that doesn’t mean you won’t meet a guy who isn’t.”

“And what about you? Will you be opening yourself up again after what happened to you?”

“Oh, hell no!” She laughed, then cleared her throat. “But we’re not talking about me, we’re talking about you. It’s too late for me.”

“You’re only two years older than me. I’d say you still have plenty of time to find yourself a perfect guy since you think one exists for me. If one exists for me, then one has to be out there for you.”

“I already have the perfect guy.” She lifted Arnold’s head and squished his chubby face.

“Well, I have Petunia. So there.”

“That ugly-ass cat doesn’t count.”

“She’s beautiful, and if Arnold counts, then Petunia counts.”

“You’re a pain in the ass.”

“I learned from the best.”

Her arched eyebrows mirrored mine, but then we both laughed.

“I am sorry, Jo. I hate to say I know exactly how you feel, but I do. Ugh, I was so freaking in love with Carter. Even though I only knew him for like a hot second, I was totally in love. From the second I saw him running out of the ocean with that surfboard in his hand, I was gone.” She palmed her face. “Then add in some spring break cocktails, romantic nights on the beach, and that six-pack I could have washed my clothes on. Gone, gone, gone.”

“Whatever happened to him?”

“No idea. I went back to my hotel room to meet him for our date and found him with his shirt off and Janine in his arms on the bed. I didn’t even say anything. Just turned and ran out and never saw him again.”

“He didn’t call or anything?”

“He didn’t have my number. Our cell phones got no reception in Hawaii, so we’d just been using our hotel room numbers to connect. And I was so pissed at Janine I didn’t go back to our room until I had to get my bags the next day. I spent the whole night crying alone on the beach. The next morning I flew home. He went to school somewhere else, so after I left, that was it. Just gone for good.”

“Oh, Jenna! That’s so sad!” I reached out and took her hand. “I’m going to find him and do a little damage to his face while you kick the crap out of Matt and Nikki.”

“The severely damaged Parker sisters are kicking ass and taking names.” She smiled, and we both blew out a sigh.

“Dad really messed us up.”

Nodding, she pursed her lips. “Yeah. He did.”

“And now we’re doubly messed up because we both tried the whole love thing once and it was an epic failure.”

“Disasters.”

“So, it’s just us and our pets. Oh God.” I shook my head. “We’re going to be those weird, lonely sisters in the retirement home together, aren’t we? The ones who never married and only have each other.”

“We’ll be the baddest bitches in there, though.”

“Damn straight.”

We exchanged a smile. “What are you going to do? I mean, you live with the guy.”

“Not for long. I left him a note he has forty-eight hours to get out. Until then, I’m hiding out here until I’m sure he’s gone.”

“Has he called or texted?”

“Not sure. I shut off my phone last night.”