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A door opens and Skyler steps out pulling her robe over her. “I’m getting really tired of being interrupted during sex.”
“Sorry, Everett and Peyton entered World War Three.” I wince.
“No, that’s not what I heard. Everett knocking on my door and summoning me down here to make sure you had someone besides the man eater’s opinion is what interrupted us. To be fair, I don’t think he knew we were having sex, but still.” She puts her cup of coffee to her lips and blows on the steam. “So, what’s going on?”
“Everett had a fit because I want to take Leigh to a day party,” Peyton says.
“It was more than that and you know it.” I interject. “You made it sound like you were ready to present me to a group of horny frat brothers as a single woman.” I give her a pointed glare, and Peyton shrugs.
“Look, I’m just saying you’re twenty and maybe this…is a sign. God works in mysterious ways and all that.”
“You aren’t religious,” Skyler interjects.
“I’m actually shocked you didn’t just turn into a pillar of salt,” I add.
Peyton smacks my shoulder and shakes her head before itching her nose ring. “Listen, are you one hundred percent sure Everett’s the one? Because you better be sure before you embark on this journey with him, and I think it’s going to be harder than you think getting acclimated to this new normal. Just because you’ve known him eleven years and you could operate his dick before you could operate a car doesn’t mean he’s your happily ever after. And I understand that relationships aren’t easy and not everything’s a walk in the park, but this might be a literal walk through hell.”
I flit my eyes to Skyler who’s bouncing on her heels probably because my perpetually cold friend is in hardly any clothes besides a thin silk robe. “I see her side, Leigh.” Her face is sad, and I know she feels like she’s letting me down. She’s the optimistic one. The one in love. The happy one.
My eyes well up with tears and I scrunch my nose. “You’re supposed to be Team Everett.”
“I’m Team Leighton. I just…I want you to be happy. This whole thing isn’t fair to you. I feel for Everett too, don’t get me wrong, but whether or not he remembers,” she shrugs. “He made his bed…”
“Don’t feel like you have to lie in it with him.” Peyton speaks up and Skyler, who I was hoping would say that wasn’t where she was going with it, just nods in agreement.
“Hey.” I walk into my bedroom to see Everett fully dressed and sitting on the edge of my bed with his arms resting on his knees. His head jerks up to meet mine and then he smiles like he hasn’t seen me in forever. Like just me entering the room makes him feel better. But just as quick as he smiles, he frowns as if he’s remembering where I’ve been.
“Your friends done shitting on me?”
“That’s not fair, Everett.”
I see the hurt all over his face and it makes my heart thump inside my chest seeing the vulnerability mar his perfect features. “It’s not? So, what do you call what Peyton was saying?”
“She knows she was out of line and she apologized.” I offer, weakly.
“I’m sensing a but…”
“This situation is just hard to navigate. One minute I think we can do this and the next…”
“And your friends are making it easier by judging you? Judging me?” He interrupts.
“No one is judging you, Everett.”
“Peyton surely is.”
“It’s not judgment. She’d never judge anyone for screwing someone and accidentally getting pregnant. There’s a reason she takes Plan B like it’s a daily vitamin. Don’t act like it’s about that. She’s angry at you because of me. And I do believe you had some choice things to say as well.”
“She started it.”
“I don’t care who started it…”
“Leigh, I’ll take shit from you but not from your friends.” He snaps.
Did he seriously just say that to me? “Take shit? Really?”
“You know what I mean.”
“No…not really. Enlighten me. Is that what you think this is? Taking my shit? Okay, well you can go.” I shrug. I don’t want him to go, but if he wants to, so be it.
