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“Aw, that’s sweet. It’s really cute how close he is with his family.”
“Yeah, it really is. It’s one of my favorite things about him,” I admitted.
“Ugh,” she groaned, “you guys are so in love it’s not fair. Wait! You didn’t tell me about the proposal!” She managed to stop shoving food in her mouth for five seconds in order to grab my hand and inspect my ring. “Oh, Tracey-poo did goooood. He wouldn’t show it to me when he told me his plan. I told him that as your best friend it needed my stamp of approval, but the little fucker just laughed at me. Doesn’t he understand the laws of the universe?”
I laughed. “You probably would’ve told him it needed to be bigger.” The diamond ring was already plenty big, but I knew Avery.
“Guilty,” she winked. “The bigger the better when it comes to everything.”
“How did I end up friends with you?” I groaned.
“You couldn’t resist my fabulousness. No one can,” she grabbed another egg roll. I decided to snag one before she ate them all. Avery loved Chinese food.
A lot of people didn’t like Avery. She was crazy smart and never afraid to speak her mind. But she had her wild side and had no problem jumping from one guy’s bed to the next. We were polar opposites, but we clicked, and she was honestly the best friend anyone could hope to have. She had my back and I had hers…even if she did drive me crazy a lot of the time, I wouldn’t have her any other way.
“So,” I ventured, hesitant of her reaction, “what’s up with you and Luca?”
She sighed, running her fingers through her red hair. “I don’t know, Livie.”
“I don’t believe that,” I pushed.
“It’s complicated,” she shrugged, frowning.
“Avery,” I reached for her hand, “I’m your best friend, you can tell me.” I’d said basically the same thing yesterday at graduation and it hadn’t done any good. But today was a new day.
She shook her head. “Livie, it’s not a big deal. Really. Sometimes people drift apart. I know you’ve only had Trace and you two are perfect for each other so you don’t understand, but this is normal, I promise.”
I knew she was evading telling me the truth by trying to make me feel like I was stupid when it came to relationships. Trace may have been my only boyfriend, but I wasn’t dumb.
“Alright,” I sighed, grabbing a packet of sauce. I was done pestering her. If she didn’t want to tell me, then I didn’t want to know. I wasn’t going to get into a fight with my best friend over nosiness. It wasn’t worth it. “Want to watch a movie On-Demand?”
She grinned. “As long as I get to see Channing Tatum’s butt.”
I cringed. “Fine,” I reluctantly agreed, because I knew she needed some cheering up.
Magic Mike began to play and it wasn’t long until I’d completely lost my appetite and was hiding my face behind a pillow with Chewbacca on it. Trace had a Star Wars obsession, it was one of his cute quirks like his love of ketchup that was too adorable to complain about. Although, he’d probably be pissed if I told him I thought it was adorable. I’d just have to keep that tidbit of information to myself.
The movie ended and I hugged Avery goodbye, watching to make sure she got in her car and left the parking lot in one piece. My paranoia extended to everyone, not just myself.
I locked the door and grabbed some pajamas, heading into the bathroom to take a shower.
I pulled my wet hair back into a bun and called Ace into the bedroom. He jumped up in the middle of the bed, stretching out.
I rubbed his belly as I climbed under the covers. “Night buddy, daddy will be home soon,” I yawned.
He wagged his tail at the mention of Trace. While getting a dog—any pet really—had been something I wanted to do, Ace had become Trace’s dog. Their bond was special.
I turned the light off and snuggled under the blankets. The bed seemed too large and too cold without Trace in it.
As if sensing my distress, Ace curled against my side, his long pink tongue flicking out to lick my cheek.
I giggled.
I was beginning to drift off to sleep when I heard the door open. Seconds later Trace strode into the bedroom, tearing off his clothes. His shoulders were taught and his jaw clenched.
I sat up, tilting my head.
“What’s wrong?”
