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“You’ll never be alone.” I didn’t know why I said, yet I meant it.
She leaned up and pressed her lips to mine. I could’ve sunk into the kiss, but slowly backed off.
“What?” she asked.
“I can taste the wine on your lips.” There had been an open bottle on the table when I walked in. “We aren’t going there while you’re like this.”
“Why not? Drunk girls can have fun too.”
“Drunk girls have regrets,” I said.
“I never regretted what we did. I was surprised and embarrassed by my actions. In fact, I bought condoms.”
“It’s not going to happen.” I held firm on my decision even though her grin was an invitation.
“Even if I told you I bought them yesterday not today? Sober, I’d thought maybe and I wanted to be prepared.”
Though I felt like a shit for what I was about to say, it had to be said. “I think it’s best we just stay friends.” She scooted away like she’d been burned. “Natalie, it’s not that I don’t like you.”
“Please don’t say it’s me and not you. That would just add to my already shit day.” She got to her feet.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“Nowhere, because I have nowhere. If I could, I would leave.”
“Natalie,” I said, again.
She shook her head. “Don’t. It’s fine. I should be used to it. If you don’t mind, I’m going to grab a shower.”
It was the right thing, I reminded myself. I had no idea where my path was leading me. I couldn’t, in good faith, start a relationship when I didn’t know where I would be in a week let alone a few months. It wouldn’t be fair for either of us.
Ten
Natalie
By the time I exited the bathroom, Liam was nowhere to be found. He did leave a note saying that he was going out and to order room service if I was hungry.
If it hadn’t been humiliating enough, he turned me down. Having him feel the need to avoid me was worse. It was a good thing I had contacted my agency for help to find a roommate. They were now aware of my predicament. I’d given them heads up that I might not be able to stay if I couldn’t find accommodation.
The only reason I didn’t go back home at that very moment was because of my shift. The hospital was understaffed with people turning up sick.
I dialed Jody and luckily, she picked up.
“Why are you calling me when you’re with that delicious boy?”
“I messed up,” I admitted.
“Oh boy. Catch me up. Tell me what happened.”
Jody was the only person in the world I could tell the complete story to without fear of judgement. I told her about the first night when I practically begged him to screw me all the way up to today.
“Cheer up. You can’t win them all. I’m proud of you for trying. And if he doesn’t see what a catch you are, his loss.”
I smiled though I didn’t feel it as much as I wanted to. “You have to say that as my best friend.”
“No, as your best friend, I have to tell you the truth and get you through it. You’re gorgeous and smart. You can cook too.”
“And apparently, I can’t keep a guy interested.”
“Everything happens for a reason. Maybe this is for the best.”
The last thing I wanted to do was wallow in self-pity. “How about you? How’d your date go?”
“Well, let’s see. As soon as we met at the restaurant, he was ready to leave. Saying, how about we take this to my place instead. Like I didn’t know what he meant. I talked him down from that, but he kept checking the time on his phone, though he pretended not to. I convinced him to stay since we had gotten a table, we might as well have the meal.”
“Did he agree?”
“He did. But once it was over, he mysteriously had to go. Turns out, he has a fiancé. I should’ve known. Senator’s son dating a mixed-race girl. I’d thought, oh, how progressive he was, considering his father bats for the conservative team. I was wrong. He has his perfect family approved fiancé waiting to be the mother of his two point five kids and live in some mini mansion in Potomac or Great Falls. Not that it matters. The restaurants are all closed now. No more dates for this girl.”
“Sorry, Jody.”
“What’s to be sorry about? I’m beautiful and I got it from my black mother and my white father. I’m damn proud of who I am and won’t apologize for it either. I spent too much of my childhood trying to fit in. Now I’m just going to be me, love it or hate it.”
“I love you,” I said. “You’re my forever sister.”
“I love you too. I couldn’t have asked for a better sister.”
