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“Do you think Kaiden would let me move in too?” Serena jests.
I laugh. “You and Mal are going to have a great time.”
“It’ll be a huge adjustment having him here instead of you. What am I going to do without my bestie?”
“Aww, I’m going to miss you too. But we can still hang out. Just not here.”
“Unless Mal’s at work, which he should be every week day. You can come over in the mornings and we can have our breakfast out here. It’ll be like you never left.”
“Or you can come visit me and we can have breakfast on the beach.”
“True. But that would involve me getting dressed and driving there. That settles it, you’ll just have to come here.”
I laugh. “Don’t worry about us not seeing each other. I’ll be five minutes away from here on all the nights I’m working. You can stop by anytime. And we can make plans ahead of time.”
“You mean like real adults do?” she asks, scrunching up her nose in distaste.
I nod. “Yep. Mal moving in is forcing us to grow up.”
Her mouth briefly forms a pout. “He’s messing with our daily routine and he’s ruining my codependency.”
“Don’t you meanourcodependency?” I ask.
“Nope. I’m the one who needs you in order to function like a normal human being. You’re so self-sufficient. You rarely rely on anyone else. When I grow up, I want to be like you.”
Pushing on her arm, I give her a playful shove. “I’m only self-sufficient out of necessity, and you’re the awesomest. Don’t deny it.”
She tips her head from side to side a few times as if she’s thinking. “Okay, I won’t.”
I laugh. “You really need to work on your self-esteem, though.”
“While I may not be lacking in that particular area, I certainly am when it comes to patience. Give me some quick pointers on how to calm myself down. You’re an expert at not overreacting from dealing with Valentina.”
“I’m sure I can handle her better than I do, but what usually helps most is to think about how her nonsense isn’t worth my energy. Also, making sure I’m taking long, slow breaths.”
Serena sighs. “Malcolm is going to get on every single nerve I have. Maybe I can find a brother-sized shock collar online.” We both snicker.
“It’s not going to be that bad,” I reassure her.
“I think if I can make it through the first week without strangling him in his sleep, he might survive the duration of his stay.”
“If not, give me a call and I’ll help you dispose of his body.”
* * *
My thighs are on fire as I turn down the street our townhouse is on. Until today, I hadn’t been on a run since the day Kaiden and I ran on the beach. I’ve been slacking and I can feel it in every inch of my legs and my burning lungs.
When I set out, I didn’t have plans to run an extra mile, but I was so lost in my thoughts I missed my usual turning point. By the time I realized it, I’d already gone a half mile beyond the norm. That’s what happens when you let men intrude into your thoughts. They’re the ultimate distraction. It doesn’t matter if it’s an ex or a current, they take up too much space in my mind. I shouldn’t be concerned with Mal moving back here. I’ll probably never see him. We don’t frequent the same kinds of places, and that was one of the issues we had. Mal likes flash, and I’m all about quietly understated. He likes the loud music and excitement of going to a club, while I’d rather go to a quiet little pub where I can engage in a conversation. He’s also an early riser, and on the mornings following a shift at the bar, I like to sleep in. He’s all about name brands, and I love a good bargain. Really, the only common ground we share is Serena.
I’m just glad I don’t have to worry about seeing him unless I choose to. I worked through all the hurt he caused a long time ago, but can you ever truly get over your first love? Is there ever a point where you can think of them without it causing a zing of heartache? And the pain isn’t because of Mal cheating on me. Although, having him do that to me shook my confidence for a bit. The part that hurts the most is how susceptible I was to his bullshit.
Pretty words delivered from a sexy mouth can still be empty promises.
I’ll never forget that hard-learned lesson.
Tugging the shoelace over my head, I turn the key in the lock and open our front door. “I’m home,” I yell out as I kick my sweaty sneakers off on the welcome mat. “Where are you?” I call out.
“We’re in here,” Serena shouts from the kitchen.
