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“Well, you gotta get used to it,” I grinned. “Because you’re stuck with me forever, I promise.”
“Good,” Charlotte said, pushing a strand of blonde hair that had fallen into her eyes back as she continued staring at me. “Because I don’t want to lose my best friend.”
“Geez, Char, you’d think I was thinking about going to an alien planet or something.” She looked at me and giggled.
I needed to get her to stop reading those alien romance books. I just sighed.
“I can’t help it,” she just snickered. And then she made a face. “Would you leave me, if there were real aliens?”
I turned to look at my best friend. “Absolutely not.” I rolled my eyes at her, and she stuck her tongue out at me. Not my genre, I wanted to tell her. Not that she didn’t know that already.
We shared a lot of things, and books had always been at the top of that list. I thought it was why we had been such fast friends when we first met. I still couldn’t believe how lucky we had got to be placed together that first year. The university had given me my best friend, and I was so grateful that she had never once walked out of my life.
“Well, in any case…” She rested her head on her crossed arms on the counter. “How was the first day of school? Make any new friends?”
“It was good, thanks, Mom.” Charlotte just grinned at me, and I shook my head. “Honestly, I don’t need any more friends. I already have you, Lina, and Gabs. Plus Hazel. Who else could I need?” Deciding the soup was hot enough, I turned off the burner, turning to ladle it into the bowls that were already waiting on the counter.
Angelina and Gabbi were our two other best friends—we all had met during our freshman year of college in our dorm, and the three of us had stuck together like glue. I hadn’t known what it meant to find your people until I met them. Despite how different we all were, we had chosen each other and never looked back.
I valued their friendship more than anything, and even when we had been apart, from study abroad programs to my living in NYC, our friendships had never fizzled out. We had even started our little book club; swapping turns on what book to all read together and giving each other recommendations. I loved it, even if it was my mastermind idea to get us all together at least once a week. Gabbi was always on board with me and my crazy book schemes.
Sometimes, I wondered if without me the rest of them would forget to plan anything, but I didn’t mind being the one to always suggest plans. Sometimes it was exhausting, but it was my role in the group. The ringleader. Or maybe I was just the bossiest one out of all of us. That was my Leo personality coming out.
Whatever it was, I had long since accepted it. Even with that, somehow my best friends had always known just what I needed to distract myself from my breakup and the life I left behind in New York. Because I had lost a piece of myself—and I was working on finding it again. Loving myself again. And maybe it just took a little encouragement from the three girls who knew me almost as well as I knew myself. My friends who had been with me through every bump, every accomplishment, every drunken night, and every cry session on the floor of our dorm rooms. God, I loved them.
Charlotte was rolling her eyes at me. “Okay, I know we’re like, the best friends ever, so you can never replace us, but a few more in your life wouldn’t hurt, I promise.”
“Yeah?” I said, placing a bowl of cheddar broccoli soup in front of her. It was our favorite. I dug out the sliced sourdough loaf I picked up from the store for myself—since I had always liked dipping bread in soup versus eating it with a spoon. Char didn’t tend to ask questions about my weird habits anymore—she had seen me eat the same way for the last eight years.
She nodded, grabbing a slice of bread but choosing to slather it in butter before taking a bite. “As long as they don’t think they’re stealing my maid of honor spot, yeah.” Charlotte gave a little scowl to show she was serious. I was pretty sure she wouldn’t threaten anyone’s life over it, but considering the expression on her face, I wouldn’t have put it past her.
“Charlotte,” I laughed. “For there to be a maid of honor spot for you to occupy, I’d have to be getting married.” I held up my left hand, complete with an empty ring finger. “And as you can see, that’s not happening.” Clearly. Not any time soon.
I didn’t miss the expression on her face, but she didn’t let up. “I’m not giving up. I have a good feeling about this year. Come on, it’s our year. Maybe we’ll both meet someone.”
I snorted. Ever since I had moved into my dorm freshman year and met my shorter, very blonde roommate, I had never seen her seriously date anyone. She had gone out on a few first dates here and there, but hardly anyone had ever made it to date number two. I was pretty sure I could count the number of men she had let kiss her on one hand. Which was crazy, because she was gorgeous, and a dancer, and I didn’t understand why she didn’t have guys falling all over her to date them.
“What?” Charlotte glared at me.
“You, actually dating?” I choked back a laugh. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”
“Hey! I date, thank you very much.”
“Yeah? Who was your last boyfriend?”
She frowned as if she was trying to place a face. Or a name. Maybe both. “Um. Bradley?”
I shook my head. “You don’t even remember, do you?” Had she ever let anyone get close enough to call them that? I didn’t think so.
Charlotte let her shoulders drop. “Fine. I don’t date. But that doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen this year. I’m just waiting for the right guy.” She had already met him. I knew it, Angelina knew it, Gabbi knew it—hell, I was fairly sure everyone in our entire dorm had known it. But they were firmly best friends. Yeah, right.
I couldn’t push that subject more without her getting on my case, but hey, at least I had an excuse, didn’t I? I wasn’t ready to get back out there yet. I wasn’t ready to open my heart up—to anyone. And when would I be?
I didn’t have an answer to that.
We finished the rest of dinner as Charlotte rambled here and there about her job—she was a dance instructor for kids at a dance studio. She always tried to fill the silence, and I didn’t mind. I nodded along, trying to stay present in the conversation, but honestly, I wasn’t paying that close of attention. Which made me feel like a bad friend.
I was still thinking about, well, everything.
