Coffee Eyes and Little White Lies
Page 85
“Well, have you seen Ali’s ass?” Wren added, brows shooting toward her hairline. “You could bounce a quarter off that thang.”
“Charlotte has always been an ass girl,” Lilah tacked on. “Can’t blame her though, I think it runs in the family.”
“Wait,” Wren held up a hand, blinking. “Are all of you queer?”
“Uh huh. Charlotte’s a lesbian, Lizzie’s bisexual, and I’m pan,” Lilah said, tone matter-of-fact as she finished off her first slice of pizza.
Natasha groaned, looking between them. “I’m the token straight?”
Wren snorted into her cider.
Lilah’s phone started vibrating again. She rolled her eyes before putting it on Do Not Disturb and tossing it aside.
“Yeet!”
“Who is calling you?” Natasha asked, brows wiggling.
“My hoes, obviously.”
“Of the three of you,” Wren pressed. “Who is the biggest hoe?”
“Oh, me. Hands down,” Lilah said without a hint of shame. “Lizzie’s a serial monogamist. Charlotte got around in her twenties. She’s so pretty, she could land anyone. But once Compose took off, she basically stopped dating.”
“Married to her job,” Wren nodded.
“Yeah. I think she did really love her first girlfriend in high school. They were supposed to go to college together, but then didn’t and that’s why Charlotte believes long distance doesn’t work.”
“The only person I’ve seen make it work is my aunt, but I am ninety percent sure they have an open marriage,” Natasha commented, dipping her pizza into a garlic sauce.
Ali’s face scrunched up as she filed that info away about Charlotte, but tried very hard to forget the info about Jasmine Pryce.
“I partied too hard,” Lilah’s tone faltered, eyes dropping to her plate as angry red splotches blotted her chest. “The twins often took turns dragging me home. Charlotte always made me pancakes the next morning.” Her voice brightened again. “I’d like to think I’ve outgrown that phase of my life, but I still have a tendency to say… just one more when I drink.”
“It’s true. I’ve seen it,” Natasha confirmed, shaking her head. “Many times.”
Wren cracked a smile. “I do the same thing. Ali has rescued me a time or two.”
Natasha put on the movie not long after that, giving Ali a chance to text Charlotte one more time.
What is really in your basement?
So far...
A home gym
Wine cellar
And the laundry and storage room.
Ali smiled to herself. Of course Charlotte had a wine cellar.
Later, when credits rolled, Lilah caught Ali’s arm, holding her back as Natasha and Wren climbed the basement stairs.
Lower lip worried between her teeth before she looked up, expression fragile.
“I’m sorry about what I said during game night. About you being alone. I heard how it sounded after it came out and I really wish I had a time travel device so I could go back and slap some duct tape over my own mouth.”
Lilah’s cheeks pinked and she hung her head.