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I guess you’re not coming.
We have to talk, Lays. You can’t avoid me forever.
The last one comes an hour after the first set from today, but only about twenty minutes ago. It’s almost noon and I got out of bed this morning to take Pepper outside but crawled right back in. The pup huffs loudly from the end of the bed, where she is spread out, having a mid-morning snooze.
I think about how I should get up and shower, pull my big girl panties on and devise a plan on how to keep the reputation of HEA in the positive, but I just need a moment to wallow.
I must fall asleep because I feel my phone vibrate in quick succession in my hand and startle awake.
Shoot, I never responded to the girls.
A text from Stella is what woke me.
Stella
You better be alive and not naked.
Cass is coming in hot.
Just outside your door.
I read the final text just as there’s a banging at my door, yet only seconds later, I hear my door swing open. Pepper is up and out of the bed so fast, letting out a dangerously aggressive bark as she goes.
“Woman, you better be dead.” I hear Cassie yell into my apartment.
Then I hear her start cooing at the dog, who has lost her ability to guard the place.
“Layla, call out,” Stella says and I hear her laugh. “I totally just binged someChicago Fire, can you tell?” I hear her tell Cassie.
“In my room,” I tell them, my voice scratchy with lack of use.
“Oh, thank God.” I hear Stella mutter.
“You’ve got some ’splaining to do,” Cassie says as she barges into my bedroom.
Stella and Pepper are close behind. It’s dark in the room, but because my best friends are kind, they don’t switch on the light. Cassie makes it to my windows and yanks open the blackout curtains that I very rarely use. Then she opens the blinds so the mid-day sun shines in.
“Girl, what the hell happened last night?” Stella asks, plopping down in the overstuffed chair in the corner of the room. Pepper follows her and wiggles and wiggles while Stella gives her love.
I sigh, pushing myself up against my pillows.
Cassie kicks her shoes off and then crawls into my bed, crossing her legs, facing me.
“Start at the beginning and leave nothing out, and I promise not to be mad that you’ve lied to me and kept so much from me,” Cassie says as she cocks her brow at me.
So I start at the beginning and tell her about the kiss in Cole’s office and then his proposition at speed dating and then our secret hookup. Finally, I tell her about my weekend getaway with him to Chicago. I think she’s most shocked that I went out of town for two nights and she didn’t know.
“Look, I know I’m getting married and we’ve all got our own lives now, but adults or not, can we please keep each other updated from now on?” Cassie grumbles.
“I traveled all the places and never told you,” Stella offers.
She glares at Stella and really, her glares are funny because the woman is always all smiles, and snaps, “Yeah, and I hated not knowing where you were or if you were safe. But it was your job and I didn’t want to sound needy.”
There is a twitch in Stella’s lips, but she doesn’t smile. Holding her hands up in surrender, she says, “Fair enough. I’ll change my ways.”
Cassie nods but turns her attention back to me.
“Okay, so you and Cole were having hot secret sex. What happened last night that has you leaving the party without a word and dodging texts and calls from concerned citizens?”
