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“Oh, Gavin’s looking for you. I’ve gotten at least three calls a day since you left and he’s losing his mind.”
“Shit,” I whisper, my chest feeling tight as I set my sandwich down. “I really hate that I’m hurting him.”
“I mean, you did break up with him, right?”
I nod. “Yeah. In my note I told him I needed to go and I wanted him to move on and find happiness. I also left my ring there.”
“I feel like you left a pretty clear message. If he can’t accept it, that’s on him.” She takes a bite of her food. “Besides, the look on your face when you talk about Sawyer… it’s everything.”
“It’s crazy, though. Right?” I ask, my cheeks burning. “I mean, I met the man two days ago.”
She shrugs. “If I came to you and told you about this new man I met but the whole time, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face and my eyes were shining and you’d never seen me happier, would you think it was weird?”
“I suppose not.”
“You wouldn’t,” she urges. “In fact, I think you would encourage me to go after it so that’s what I’m doing. I think the biggest question is does Sawyer feel the same way about you?”
My teeth sink into my lip. “I think so. He told me he really wants to explore the things he’s feeling and he kissed me last night.”
“He kissed you and you’re just now telling me?” she shrieks and my eyes widen as I glance over my shoulder to see if anyone heard her. A few people are milling around near the conference table but they don’t look our way.
“Will you keep your voice down?”
“I’m sorry,” she whispers, shaking her head. “But this is huge news. How was it? Sexy? Sweet? Steamy?”
I shake my head. “Life changing.”
“Giiirrll,” she drawls breathlessly as she falls back into her chair. “Life changing?”
“Yep.” I nod and she stares at me for a second before laughing and shaking her head. I narrow my eyes. “What?”
“I was just thinking that maybe all of this happened for a reason. Like as awful as it is that you got in the accident and your dad died and you lost your memory, maybe there was a purpose in it.”
I smile. “My mom would be thrilled to hear you telling me that the universe brought me here for a reason.”
“I mean it,” she says with a laugh. “I really think this all happened for a reason and with the way you’re feeling now, can you really disagree?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I can’t.”
“So I take it you’re going to continue staying with Sawyer?”
I nod. “Yeah, for the time being.”
“Well, just remember that you can always come crash at my place but I’m secretly hoping you and Sawyer fall in love, get married, and have cute little babies.”
“Noted.” I laugh. “What about you? How’s Andrew?”
Her face falls, pain springing into her eyes. “Oh, God, you don’t remember, do you?”
“What? What happened?” Back in college, Mercedes and her boyfriend, Andrew, were inseparable - the ultimate power couple - and I always assumed that they’d get married some day and have gorgeous blonde haired, blue eyed babies.
“Andrew,” she says, his name sounding like a curse as it leaves her lips. “Dropped me like a bad habit as soon as he was picked up by the NFL.”
My heart breaks as she fights back tears. “Oh, Mer. I’m so sorry. I wish I had known. I didn’t mean to cause you any pain.”
“No,” she says, shaking herself as she looks up at the ceiling to dry her tears. “It’s okay. You just caught me surprise and it’s been so long since I even thought of him.”
“Mer,” I warn, seeing right through her bullshit and she sighs.
