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Chapter 26

“Grey Goose and club with a lime, please.”

Alessandra’s hand froze midair as she reached for her wine. “Did you just order—”

“I did,” Toni said.

They sat at the small bar tucked in the far back of the resort, opposite a wall of windows overlooking the surrounding mountains. The day had been nearly perfect, with one small exception. Alessandra, still not completely accustomed to her newfound abilities, had accidentally listened in on a conversation at the pool that still had her seething.

How one man could treat women with courtesy and respect and another could talk the way the two bozos at the pool had . . . ugh. It had taken every tactic in her toolbelt, including appealing to the sanctity of their girls’ weekend, to keep Alessandra from confronting them. She’d always had a penchant for justice, but it wouldn’t be smart for her to go around showing her super strength.

They’d settled for giving the men glares worthy of centuries-old enemies when the men attempted to pick them up.

Otherwise, their first girls’ day had been perfect—exactly the rest Toni needed. She hadn’t told Alessandra about her plan yet, and her friend hadn’t pressed her, but it was time to fess up.

“That’s—”

“My mother’s drink, I know.”

Thanking the bartender, whose suspenders reminded her way too much of Lawrence’s outfit at Amendment 18, Toni stirred the lime around and avoided Alessandra’s gaze.

“Talk to me,” her friend said.

Toni wasn’t even sure where to start. Looking up, she found only love and concern in Alessandra’s eyes.

“I’ve been taking notes,” she started.

“I know, the ones we picked up at the shop. But what kind of notes?”

Here went nothing.

“Notes on starting a business.” Forging ahead, she explained, “The night Lawrence left . . .”

Would she ever be able to say his name without a heaviness settling onto her chest?

“I didn’t know what to do with myself. It was so different than with Tyler. I honestly felt lost, which made no sense. We hadn’t been together long—”

“Though you’ve known him all summer.”

Toni lifted the drink to her lips and took a sip. “True. So I wandered . . . found myself at SHU.” She forced a smile. “I know, an unlikely destination for me. Or maybe not. I ended up in the library with a book . . .”

Now she felt downright silly.

“What book?” Alessandra tugged on her hand. “Talk to me, Toni.”

“A book on business. I don’t know, maybe it wasn’t so surprising for me to end up there. I’ve wanted something more . . . but it was so hard to get beyond what happened. Beyond feeling guilty for not going with Mom and Dad. I wanted to make them proud—I still do—but college just isn’t for me.”

She’d never spoken so openly about it before, but the words kept coming.

“I spent that whole night reading, and since then, I’ve been researching. I’m ready.”

She looked down at her drink without finishing.

Luckily, Alessandra knew what she meant.

Toni was ready to move on. From the accident. From her parents’ dreams of her future. From her own self-imposed limitations.

And even from Lawrence.