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She wanted to be a part of that. Instead, she went upstairs and took a long shower, hoping to feel better. But even afterward, she felt un-nerved, as if she’d left behind something important and would only realize too late what it was.

Luckily, Bia was coming over that evening, and not nearly soon enough, her best friend was there.

“I brought reinforcements!” Bia said, holding up a tray of mac and cheese. Her black hair was pin-straight and cut in a stylish bob, bringing all the attention to the striking features of her brown-skinned face. She wore a sleek black yoga set, in contrast to Lucy’s pink loungewear set.

“Oh thank god.” Lucy finally smiled, letting Bia in. Bia held the tray with one hand and hugged Lucy with the other. She was a full head taller than Lucy, and Lucy inhaled the familiar scent of her designer perfume: lily of the valley and bergamot. Just being in Bia’s presence automatically made Lucy feel better; not for the first time, she wished her best friend lived closer so they could see each other more often.

After Bia said hi to Lucy’s parents, Lucy led her into the kitchen, where a chicken roast and parmesan potatoes Lucy had made were waiting. Bia didn’t ascribe to any religion, so Christmas didn’t mean anything to her except that it was nice to get a day off.

As they ate, they caught up, Bia showing Lucy pictures of her adorable baby niece, Lucy showing Bia pictures of the bookstore’s decor from yesterday. Then they made three different batches of cookies, bringing them to her bedroom with glasses of cold milk.

They got under a heap of blankets and talked. That was when Lucy finally filled Bia in on her and Grayson’s hookup, her body aching at the memories. She could still feel the phantom touch of his lips against hers, taste him in her mouth.

“Was it a bad idea?” Lucy asked when she was done recounting the events of the past twenty-four hours. She groaned, biting into a brown butter chocolate chip cookie. Their legs were folded over one another underneath the blanket.

“I don’t know,” Bia said, sipping her milk. She leaned back against the pillows, thinking. “It seems like you had fun?” She tucked a short strand of hair behind her ear. “Maybe just … keep having fun?”

It was the blind leading the blind here.

“Maybe … but he’s leaving in a few months! Isn’t it all too complicated?” Lucy asked.

“I don’t know!” Bia wrinkled her nose. “But it seems like the past few weeks were pretty wonderful from the way you talked about it. If you want things to keep being like that—and for there to be a repeat of those sexy times you’ve clearly been thirsting after—maybe try being honest?”

Lucy made a face. “Ugh, okay, I’ll think about it.” She set aside her empty cookie plate and hugged a pillow. “Now, tell me about your love life. How are things going with your coworker? Callum, right?”

Bia groaned, setting aside her milk to grab her own pillow.

“He’s soooo cute,” Bia said, squeezing it. “And competent. And sweet.”

“So what’s the problem?” Lucy asked.

Bia let out a long sigh. “I don’t know,” she said. Her voice lowered. “What if I’m cursed?”

Bia had only had two boyfriends—one in high school and one in college—and in a strange and freakish coincidence, both had passed away.

Lucy frowned. “You aren’t cursed,” she said. “Trust me, I’m a witch. I would know.” Bia nibbled on her lower lip. “You’ve just had bad experiences,” Lucy continued. “It makes sense to be hesitant, but you shouldn’t let fear stop you.”

Bia gave Lucy a pointed look, and Lucy’s heart raced as she realized the advice could be applied to her own life as well.

“Uh, let’s not talk about boys anymore,” Lucy said. “At least, not real ones.”

“I agree completely.” Bia smiled. “Movie time?”

“Movie time.”

Lucy grabbed her laptop, balancing it on their laps as she put on their favorite winter movie: The Holiday. Young Jude Law was an excellent distraction, except for the fact that his blue eyes reminded her of Grayson’s.

After, they talked about everything else: work drama at Bia’s bank, the various characters of Main Street, Bia’s precious niece, the new books Lucy loved, Bia’s brother’s hot best friend, old classmates from high school who had gotten engaged, and on and on. When they were together, there were always a million things to talk about, and luckily, the conversation didn’t stray back to the predicament with Grayson.

Spending time with Bia always helped Lucy recenter.

At the end of the night, she felt more determined than ever.

Lucy was back at work the next day, and she wondered how things would be between her and Grayson. The entire car ride over, she worried about it. He had been eating her out like a dying man not thirty-six hours earlier, and they had parted ways so coldly.

But maybe Bia was right—Lucy should be honest and see what happened.

She would be brave. She would say yes to dinner and play it by ear. That seemed like a good plan, even if the prospect frightened her.