Page 57 of His Good Girl

“Thanks, Nick, you too! Maybe I’ll stop in before graduation for a workout.”

“That would be great.”

We start to head for the main doors but Nick loudly calls out, “Oh, and Alexis, glad your last session could end with such a bang!” He winks, laughing. “I hope you cleaned up after yourself.”

Finn barks out a laugh and I feel my cheeks warming. The idea of being watched is hot as hell, but knowing my friend heard me getting fucked is just awkward.

“Don’t worry pal, I took care of everything,” Finn calls over his shoulder, earning a loud laugh from Nick and a punch to his side from me.

51

ALEXIS

Finn convinces Marcee to spend Christmas Eve with us at his place before we take her to the airport so she can head to Napa and spend the holiday with Vivian. I try to hide my nerves at seeing her. We haven’t spoken since Thanksgiving and my heart is still raw from her hateful words, but I'm committed to sticking with her through this. I can’t lose her, and unless Finn walks away, I’m planning to be with him forever.

The day is kept very lowkey. We have dinner and exchange presents.

Marcee just seems off, and my gut is telling me it’s more than just the thing with Finn and me. Standing at the sink, I watch her as she sits in a chair by the pool, staring off into the distance. Every fiber of my being is calling me to go out there, but I don’t know if I’m welcome anymore, and after Thanksgiving, I’m terrified of what she might say. Her knees start to jiggle and she twirls her hair. Fuck, she really is anxious or upset.

Alexis, time to put on your big girl panties and be there for your friend, even if she doesn’t want you there. You can do this; stop being a twat and walk out that door. Pep talk done, I grab a bottle of wine and head outside.

Marcee barely reacts when I sit on the chair beside her, the same two we lounged on this summer. Damn, was that really just a few months ago? It feels like forever. Clearing my throat, I replay my kitchen pep talk. “Marce? I know things are still weird between us, but you can talk to me about anything. You know, if you want.” Holding my breath, I wait to see how she will react.

With a deep sigh, she turns toward me, putting her back to the house and I see that she has the necklace I gave her gripped in her fist. “Things are…” She hesitates, looking out over the water. “Messy. My life, my thoughts, us. It’s all just so messy, and I don’t do messy, you know that. Usually, I come to you with stuff like this but now,” she spreads her hands in front of herself, “I don’t know who to talk to, to help me sort it all out. What I really need is my best friend…” Voice cracking, she looks straight into my eyes. “I miss my best friend, but I’m still so mad at you, and not there, you know…”

She looks so lost and vulnerable, I choose my words with care. “I get that, and for what it’s worth, I miss my best friend too, so much.” Before she can say anything, I hold my hand up to finish before I lose my nerve or cry. “What if we suspend the whole me and your dad thing for a few minutes? Pretend that we’re still us, best friends that share everything. Whatever you’re going through, let me be here for you, and then we can unpause the friendship break until you’re ready again.”

Smiling, she nudges me with her leg. “That was uber corny, Lexie.”

“Yeah, please don’t tell anyone.” We both laugh awkwardly.

“Ooookay.” She twirls her hair again, opening and closing her mouth several times. It takes all my self-control to not urge her to hurry up.

“I hooked up with a guy I met at a bar last night. Like, I had a one-night stand thing.”

It takes me a second to process what she just blurted out. Marcee, my conservative, quiet, planner friend that just lost her virginity eighteen months ago, had a one-night stand. Of course, I’ve had more than my share of hookups and don’t think it's a big deal, but for her, I can see it's huge.

“Oh. Okay. Well, um, how do you feel about that?” I’m trying to give her the respect she deserves and not make light of it.

“That’s what I'm so confused about. It—the—you know, ugh, the sex, was mind blowing.”

My mind is still trying to process what about that makes her so upset. Is it just because it was a first, or something else?

“It’s what happened after we had sex.”

“Was he nice? Was everything consensual and safe?” My heart stutters, if someone hurt her, I’ll hunt them down and make sure their little friend never hurts anyone else again.

“Yes, yeah. I mean, there wasn’t a lot of talking or anything. But we used protection, and he made sure I enjoyed stuff too. No pressure to do anything I didn’t want to do.” Relief sweeps through me, my lungs expanding with it.

“So, what’s the issue, hun? I’m a little lost.”

“We fell asleep after the third round.”

“Marcee!” I squeal, my horny self is so excited for her. Marcee’s cheeks turn pink, but she grins at me.

“Yeah, turns out when it’s good, you don’t want to stop.” She laughs and I keep my damn mouth shut because boy do I get that statement, but no way in hell can I say it. “I really liked him, or at least, what he did to me.” She laughs ruefully. “But when I woke up, he was gone. He snuck out without a goodbye.”

I nod, trying to read between the lines but still a little lost. That’s my usual MO and my preference for any one-night stand. Lord knows, there's nothing worse than a stage-five clinger that tries to have a slumber party and spoon. Again, trying to be sensitive to Marcese's feelings, I say, “That’s pretty common, hun. Unless you’re looking for more, whoever is the guest leaves before sunup.”