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She smiles. “I missed it too. Soon.”
“Very soon, Joey. He’s going to be pissed, but once he realizes what you mean to me, he’ll get over it.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“I hate to think that this would ruin our friendship, but if that’s how it plays out, then so be it.”
“You don’t even care?”
“Of course I care. He’s my best friend, but I can’t give you up. I refuse to. If it takes losing Caleb in my life as my best friend, then I’ll have to deal.” I take a sip of coffee. “Besides, you’re a permanent part of my life, so he’s going to have to see me when he sees you. When he visits, when we get married, when we have kids, he’s not going to just forget about me that easily.” I smirk, trying to make light of our situation.
“Those are pretty big declarations.”
“I love you. That’s as big as it gets, and they’re not declarations, baby. They’re promises for what’s to come.”Standing, I grab my now-empty plate and cup, and bend to place a kiss on her lips. “I need to go. Love you. Have a good day.”
“Love you too.” she whispers after me as I turn to go upstairs to grab my bag. I can’t stop the grin when I think about the look on her face. Part shock and part love. So much love. We have so much to look forward to. Sure, I hope that Caleb can come to terms with us. I’d like to think once he sees that she’s it for me, he’ll come around. He may not see at first, but once he witnesses firsthand how much I love her, how could he not?
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
Joey
The ringing of my cell phone makes me pause from the online help-wanted ads I’ve been browsing all morning. The moment the guys went to practice, I grabbed my laptop and started searching. I’ve highlighted a handful of media company and advertising executive positions; however, I don’t really have the experience they’re looking for. Sure, I was with Johnson since I graduated from college, even climbed the ladder a few times, but I lack some of the task management and strategic planning duties preferred.
I sigh the moment I see the name on the screen and even consider letting it go to voice mail. However, I know my mom, and she won’t stop calling until I answer. And if that doesn’t work, she’ll show up. That’s the last thing I—or Caleb—need.
“Hey, Mom,” I say in place of my usual greeting.
“Josephine, sweetheart, how are you? It’s been too long!” she yells into the receiver.
“Where are you? Why is the music so loud?” A quick glance at the clock confirms it’s just after one o’clock.
Mom laughs. “Sorry, it’s so loud here. Tommy and I flew to Jamaica for a few days.”
I sit up on my bed, phone clutched in my hand. “Wait, you’re in Jamaica? And who is Tommy?”
“Tommy Dunn, my boyfriend.”
I blink once, twice, multiple times. “Tommy Dunn? Like from Crash Factor?”
“Yes! That’s him. We met at a mutual friend’s house the other day, and when we were talking about vacations, we realized neither one of us have ever been to Jamaica! Did you know weed is readily available and super cheap here?”
My head starts to spin. “Mom?” The Caribbean music blasts in the background, making me wonder if she’s standing directly beside a speaker.
“I’m here. Tommy too.”
“That’s great, but did you say you jetted off to a foreign country with a man you just met?”
She scoffs. “Well, technically we just met, but everyone knows Tommy Dunn. It’s like we’ve known each other forever,” she replies, her giggles filling the phone line.
I close my eyes and shake my head. I wish I could say this is the first time she’s ever done something like this, but that would be a lie. Mom has a habit of hopping on a plane with some random guy, only to have something dramatic happen along the way. He disappears, leaving her with the resort bill. He’s unable to hide her from his wife back home. Or my personal favorite, he has a run-in with the law and winds up in jail.
That’s happened.
Twice.
“Listen, Mom, I’m in the middle of something, and it sounds like you’re busy too,” I say the moment I hear a man mumble about taking off her bikini.
