Page 18 of Touch of Heartache


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Brielle shrugged ever-so-innocently. “Nothing to tell. I clean for him. We had a misunderstanding the first day and I thought I would die from embarrassment, but… We’re cool now, Iguess?”

She’s hiding something.“What kind of misunderstanding?” askedLilac.

Brielle stared off into space and ran a finger over her cheek “He’s in a wheelchair and he was grumpy about me seeing his comic book art and I just… sort of crossed some boundary with him? I don’tknow.”

Gavin snatched his phone and his face went off-screen for a minute as he spoke. “Wait a minute. ArcherWard?”

Lilac was lost. “Is that some kind of codeword I’m supposed to know or… some zoninginfo?”

Brielle’s mouth hung open. “How did youknow?”

“Super hot, disabled, comic book artist, from your hometown,” said Gavin, tapping his head. “I have a good memory for these kinds of details. Besides, he’s only the current lead artist onThe Mystified. Kind of sort of a big deal in comics circles. Kind of.” He was echoing Brielle’s words back ather.

“I didn’t know,” saidBrielle.

“Oh my god, Brielle’s going to date a celebrity!” shoutedLilac.

“Kind of,” saidGavin.

“We’re not dating,” said Brielle. Her brows furrowed.She’s keeping the juiciest parts to herself,Lilacthought.

Lilac could feel the excitement bubble up through her wine-coated bloodstream. Then a thought struck her. “But if he’s disabled, how would youtwo—”

“Okay,” said Brielle, raising her voice. “Change of subject. Has anyone heard fromPembroke?”

What kind of segue is that?“No,” said Lilac and Gavin atonce.

“I DMed her earlier this week,” explained Brielle, “and still,nothing.”

“Ditto,” saidGavin.

Lilac didn’t think she’d ever spoken to Pembroke without either Gavin or Brielle there as well. Was this silence unusual? It hadn’t occurred to Lilac that it would be. “I haven’t reached out,” she said, “but I included her on a few texts and she neverresponded.”

“You’re the closest one to campus,” said Gavin to Brielle. Her family was from like an hour away from their college. So were Lilac’s and Gavin’s—in different directions. “She was a commuter, so she lives nearby,right?”

“You want me to drop by?” Brielle asked. She seemed unsure. “I don’tknow…”

“Somebodyought to,” said Gavin. “If it was simply a matter of her wanting to be left alone or being busy, she should just send us a brief text saying asmuch.”

Lilac shook her head.Talk about being overprotective.“Give the girl some space. We just saw her less than a week ago. Maybe she’s not even the type to care to stay in touch aftergraduation.”

“We promised we all would,” saidGavin.

“Yeah, just like every other group of college classmates in the universe.” Sighing, Lilac nodded at the camera. “How long do you think we’ll even stay in touch? We’ll get even busier with jobs, maybe husbands, maybekids…”

“You’re starting to sound like my grandma,” saidGavin.

Their conversation lulled into silence for a moment and Lilac thought grimly of a future without her friends. She couldn’t let thatbe.

Brielle broke the silence first with an exhausted sigh. “I should getgoing.”

“Yeah, where are you?” asked Lilac. “Looks like a park.” Since when was Brielle the “great outdoors”type?

Brielle seemed to get the implication and shrugged. “Just getting some freshair.”

“Wow, pigs must fly these days,” saidLilac.

“Check in with me next week about Broke,” said Gavin. “And sweep that comic book artist off hisfeet!”

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