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My friends are here, and I need this right now. Thirsty Thursday is one of my favorite traditions. I will not ruin it by crying in my wine glass unless the tears are from laughing too hard. Which has happened on more than one occasion. Generally, about the time we open the third bottle of wine.
My phone chimes in my pocket, alerting me to a text, as I’m about to reach for the door handle. Sliding my finger across the screen, I’m surprised to see a waiting message from Finn.
FINN: Just wanted you to know I’m thinking about you. I’m here if you need me.
ME: Thanks. Girls’ night tonight. TTYL
FINN:
Pocketing my phone, I head out to meet my friends with a forced smile on my face. I don’t even realize how big it is until Kendall raises her eyebrow at me in question as Alexis pulls me in for a hug. Piper’s right behind her waiting to embrace me as soon as Alexis releases me.
“So, how are you really?” Alexis asks, holding me at arm’s length, her eyes filled with sorrow.
“I’m okay. Thanks for asking.”
“We were afraid you wouldn’t want company yet. We don’t want to intrude if you still need time,” Piper adds as Kendall hands each of them a stemless wine glass almost overflowing with the sweet white she opened for us.
“You know what, I think this is exactly what I need right now. Good wine and good friends.”
Piper smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. I know where her mind is at right now. On her absentee father. She has a great relationship with her mom. The woman is a saint. Always so kind when she comes to visit, taking us out to lunch and doting on her daughter. She’s proud of Piper, you can tell. Hell, who wouldn’t be? Her IQ is one point below certified genius level, she’s gorgeous, and she has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. She’s never talked about her dad before and it’s not a secret it’s a touchy subject, so we don’t push her.
There’s a reason her and Alexis are best friends, though. They both have daddy issues, and despite them they’re both successful and smart as hell. Alexis has to work harder for her grades, but she has the dedication and determination. Her family dynamic is the opposite of what I’ve experienced. Her dad is kind of an ass. Her real dad bailed on her mom when she was six years old. The man her mom remarried is an ass to her but takes good care of her two younger half-brothers. Treats them like royalty, spending the little money they have on whatever the boys want, while he treats her like the dirt on his work boots.
I’ve seen it firsthand, and if it hadn’t been for Piper, Kendall and I would have given him a piece of our minds.
So, the dad situation in our little circle is a mash up. Kendall and I both grew up with loving, doting fathers whereas our friends never felt that kind of love. It makes my heart hurt more for them than for me. Because at least I had my father’s love for twenty years. That’s more than they’ve ever had.
We spend the rest of the night talking about our plans for the summer, polishing off three bottles of wine, and laughing until we cried. No one mentioned my dad. Or asked why I started sobbing at one point, the wine allowing my mind to wander, my emotions sneaking up on me before I could push them down.
When their Uber arrived to pick them up just before midnight, Kendall walked them downstairs while I picked up the pizza boxes and empty wine glasses. My mind started to wander again, this time to thoughts of what Finn was up to. Where he was tonight. Who he was with. Was he drinking to forget like I was? Was he with my brother, helping him cope with the tragedy of losing our dad so suddenly?
Kendall slides up next to me as I’m filling the sink to wash dishes, causing me to jump, the wine glass in my hands slipping into the sink. It shatters on contact.
“Shit, K. You scared the crap out of me,” I state, turning the water off and reaching in to pull the plug so I can clean up the shards.
“I called out your name,” she replies, dragging the garbage can over to the sink so I can start throwing pieces in.
“I’m sorry. I’m not blaming you, I just— Fuck!”
Dropping the large chunk of glass into the trash, I stare at my finger, waiting to see how bad I’ve cut myself. It hurt like a bitch but there’s still no blood. Giving my middle finger a little pinch, I instantly regret my decision when blood rushes to the surface, dripping down my hand.
“Damn. You got that pretty good. Let me get a bandage.” Kendall rushes out of the kitchen while I hold my bleeding finger over the garbage can. I can hear her rummaging around in the cabinet, and then she’s back in front of me, holding up the tiniest band-aid I’ve ever seen. “This is all we have.”
“I’ll just wrap some paper towel around it.”
Ten minutes later, Kendall and I have managed to wrap my finger in three layers of paper towel, but it refuses to stop bleeding through the cheap cloth. Now I’m wishing we’d paid extra for the good stuff. This barely soaks up water. Why did I think it’d stop my finger from bleeding?
“We should probably take you to get it checked out. You might need stitches,” she says, slipping her shoes on without waiting for me to agree to her demands. Per usual.
“Neither of us can drive, K,” I point out. “Which is probably why I’m bleeding so much. Alcohol thins your blood.”
She seems to think about our predicament for a second before asking for my phone. I hand it over without a second thought, watching as she feverishly taps against the screen.
“There,” she says, sounding proud of herself. “Our ride will be here in ten minutes.”
“I could have ordered us an Uber. You didn’t have to do it for me.”
“Oh, I didn’t order us an Uber. I ordered you a knight in shining armor.” The smirk on Kendall’s face causes my stomach to drop as my phone chimes in my hand.
FINN: On my way. Hold your hand above your heart.
“I’m going to kill you,” I mumble, not that Kendall is listening to me.
Nope. She kicks her shoes back off and saunters to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Leaving me in Finn’s capable hands. If I didn’t know better, I’d think my best friend was trying to play matchmaker. Oh, wait … I do know her, and that’s exactly what she’s doing.
