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Laney jumped on the train. “Is she pretty?”
I turned away from them, picturing Taylor Novak in my mind. Was she pretty? Sure, if you liked the right angles of a geometry problem. “She’s like that ice queen from Narnia,” I said. “A chill follows her wherever she goes. Plants wither under her feet. I wouldn’t put it past her to bribe children with candy to go to war with animals.”
Ethan tucked his face against Laney’s shoulder as he chuckled, while my sister threw a pillow at me, though she couldn’t contain her growing grin. “That’s awful.”
“It’s true.” I set the pillow under my elbow.
“Well, I’d like to meet her.”
“No. There would never be a reason to.”
Laney lifted her finger in the air with an idea. “You need a date to the wedding.”
“I do not.”
“Yes, you do.”
Ethan leaned forward as if to break us up and wrapped his hand around Laney’s knee. “Honey, he doesn’t have to bring someone.”
“Yes, he does. I included a plus-one for him in our final number to the caterer.”
“Ah Christ, Delaney,” I bit out. “Why?”
“Because I don’t want you to be the only one there without someone,” she said, and my breath seeped out of me like a pinhole in a balloon. I tried not to let my sister or best friend see how much that reminder affected me.
But I didn’t have the mental or emotional capacity to find andkeepsomeone. The last time I had, my best friend since first grade died.
I wasn’t going to do that again, become so wrapped up in a girl that I ignored everything and everyone else in my life. There would be no plus-one for me. Ever.
“Hey man, you don’t need to bring someone,” Ethan said. “Don’t sweat it. If you do, cool, but if not, then it’s just an extra seat.”
“But you should—”
“Lane.” Ethan stopped with her a quiet but firm tone, and I was grateful to him. I didn’t want to have to explain myself to either of them. When my sister didn’t argue, Ethan stood up, towing her with him. “We should get going. I still have to pack.”
They were flying to Washington state tomorrow to meet up with Laney’s best friends for some annual New Year’s tradition.
And I absolutely was not envious.
Since Hank had his kid, he wasn’t going to be going out, so that meant Seth was my only choice. Though, with how I hadn’t gotten laid in months, I supposed it was time to do something about that, and Seth was nothing if not willing to troll bars. And I was sure women in short skirts would need to be warmed up in the cold weather.
That was how I would spend my New Year’s.
I hugged each of them and locked the front door after they left then dropped back down to the couch, raising the volume onStar Warsbefore reaching for my phone. I didn’t have to wait until the ball dropped to find some ass. I could text any one of the numbers in my phone, and yet as I scrolled through Abby, Ali, Ashleigh, Ashley, Becca, Brianna, Caitlin brunette, Caitlin blonde, Carina, Carly…my stomach turned.
If I ever actually counted up how many phone numbers I had acquired, how many partners I’d had sex with and never spoke to again, I think I would hate myself.
Then again, that was the point. I worked and fucked so hard because I didn’t want to remember how much I already hated myself.
I closed out my contact list and opened up my email app to find yet another from the Ice Queen herself.
Since I assume you’re not working this week, I’ll actually be able to get a lot done at the office without your music blaring. See you next year.
T. Novak
Senior Associate, Novak & Novak
“Fuck you,” I muttered, typing out my reply.
