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“So how’s it been having Ant stay with you?” Tess tears off a piece of her sandwich and pops it into her mouth, chewing slowly as she waits for me to answer.
We’ve managed to make it halfway through our lunch date without the conversation coming up. I’m honestly surprised it’s taken her this long. Considering I only have an hour break, I expected her to bring it up much sooner.
Not that I care to talk about Anthony. We’re friends and this is Tess, but there’s something about the way she looks at me every time Ant comes up that makes me squeamish. Like she’s trying to figure something out, and I don’t like the feeling that leaves me with.
“It’s been fine.” I brush it off like it’s nothing, pushing my salad around in the bowl with my fork. “He works a little later than I do, so we really only see each other for a couple hours in the evening.”
“Does he like his new job?” she asks.
After spending the last twenty minutes talking about my new job, you would think she would be burnt out on that topic.
“He seems to, though it’s only been a couple weeks so he’s still getting into the swing of things.”
“So how much longer is he planning on staying with you?”
“Not sure. He said a month tops. I know he’s looked at a couple of apartments already, though.”
“You seem sad about that.”
I don’t know why but the way she says it seems like she’s trying to imply something. Or maybe it’s just my guilty conscience and my paranoia making me feel like she knows something that I haven’t quite yet admitted to myself.
“Well, I certainly won’t miss picking up his socks everywhere once he’s gone,” I snort, recalling how I’ve had to pick up at least one article of clothing of his off the floor every single day in the nearly three weeks since he’s been staying with Jack and me. “But it’s nice having him around. I don’t have many friends here, never really had time to make any.”
“Speaking of friends, I almost forgot to tell you that Courtney is planning a trip out here.”
“She is?” I question, thankful for the change in subject.
“Yep. I talked to her yesterday. She’s shooting for the weekend after next but still has to confirm if she can make that work. She’s supposed to let me know as soon as she’s booked her flight.”
“I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve seen her, but it really wasn’t that long ago.”
“I know, me too,” she agrees.
Tess’ college graduation party was the last time the three of us were all together, and to say it was an eventful party would be the understatement of the year. Courtney invited Sebastian and, of course, he showed up just in time to see Tess’ then boyfriend, Bennett, drop down to one knee and ask her to marry him.
She said yes initially, but then a week later was knocking on my door determined to get Sebastian back. Of course, that’s around the same time Ant re-entered my life, so I’ve been a bit preoccupied since then.
“She gonna stay with you and Sebastian?” I ask.
“Yeah, I think so. Considering we have a spare room it makes more sense than having her sleep on your couch. Then again, that’s taken right now anyway, so I guess that’s not even an option.”
“Does she know he’s here?” I finally ask the question that’s been looming in the back of my mind since Court popped into the conversation.
“She does.” She nods slowly.
“And?” I push, hoping I don’t sound as anxious to her as I do to myself.
“And... I don’t know. I mean, she seemed pretty unaffected by the news.”
“Does she know he’s staying with me?”
She shakes her head as she takes a drink, waiting until she’s swallowed the liquid before fully answering.
“It didn’t come up, and I didn’t feel like it was really all that relevant where he was staying. She didn’t ask a lot of questions or try to get information out of me.”
“You don’t think she’ll care, do you?”
“Why would she? You and Ant have always been close, and you’re just helping him out for the time being. Besides, I doubt she cares where he’s staying. She and Ant were a long time ago. You know Court, she doesn’t stay in one place for too long. Anthony was old news two weeks after they broke up.”
