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“I don’t lie.”
“Yes, you do,” Juniper insists. “When it’s an ‘emergency’.”
“Heartbreak is definitely an emergency,” Gabrielle whispers.
I want to ask her what happened to her, but I know she won’t tell me in front of all these women. Plus, Aspen will tackle me if I try to change the topic of discussion. Although, maybe she’s pregnant already and won’t tackle me. I study her and notice her staring at Ashlyn’s belly with envy. Not pregnant yet then.
I inhale a deep breath and count to five before letting it out. “Beckett and I broke up.”
“Duh.” Ashlyn rolls her eyes. “Why? What happened?”
I don’t bother claiming the matter is confidential. They won’t care and will pester me until I tell them anyway. “The board wanted to fire him for having a relationship with me, so I quit.”
“I’m confused.” Elizabeth scratches her head. “Did you quit and break up with my brother?”
“Yeah.” Ellery’s brow furrows. “Why break up with him if you already quit? Doesn’t quitting solve the problem?”
I purse my lips. “No. Because Beckett won’t accept my resignation unless we’re no longer a couple.”
“I doubt Beckett will accept your resignation no matter what,” Elizabeth mutters.
“What? Why not?”
Elizabeth doesn’t get a chance to answer my question as everyone flies into action.
“I’ll get the booze!” Aspen shouts before rushing off.
Ashlyn follows her saying, “I’ll get the sugary snacks!”
Juniper brings up the rear. “I’ll get the movies!”
I stop Ellery before she can leave. “I don’t need your puppy to come over.”
She sighs. “Good. Because if I return home and Willow sees me, I don’t know if I can escape again. I crawled out of the bathroom window to get here the first time.”
“Crawled out the window? Your husband isn’t keeping you prisoner, is he?” Gabrielle asks.
Ellery rolls her eyes. “No, but my boobs are keeping me chained to my daughter.”
Gabrielle relaxes and now I’m seriously concerned about the secret she’s hiding.
“Who wants chips and salsa?” Cassandra asks before I have a chance to puzzle out how to ask Gabrielle without embarrassing her.
I notice the tray in Cassandra’s hands, and my stomach grumbles in response.
“I figured you hadn’t eaten much,” she says as she sets the food down on the coffee table in front of me.
I scratch my chin as I contemplate her statement. I can’t honestly remember the last time I ate. This has never happened to me before. I remember everything. What’s happening to me?
Ellery wraps an arm around me. “It’s called heartbreak, but it should be called everything hurts like a bitch.”
“For sure,” Gabrielle mumbles.
Ellery squeezes my shoulders. “The good news is food, drink, and being around friends helps.”
Cassandra plops down on the sofa next to us. “It certainly does.” She shoves the tray in my face. “Eat. You’ll feel better with a full tummy.”
Since concentration loss can be the result of low blood sugar caused by lack of eating, I grab a handful of chips.
My other sisters soon return, and before I know it, I’m watching a humorous film about a group of eleven men who want to rob a casino in Las Vegas. Many of their premises are flawed – eight people carrying 3,600 pounds of one-hundred-dollar bills across a casino floor seems highly unlikely – but overall, the movie is enjoyable.
The movie finishes and I scan this group of women and realize how lucky I am to have them. I also realize they were right. Food, drink, a movie, and some time spent with them did cheer me up.
I still have to face the office on Monday since I have to work through my notice period. And then I have to search for a new job, which will entail moving as Winter Falls is not exactly conveniently located. But with this group at my back, I’m certain I can handle any obstacles I face. Although, I’ll have to go on a diet if this is how they’re going to cheer me up every time I face an obstacle.
