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“So don’t even think about it.”
I responded with a simple thumbs up, but I could feel my excitement about seeing Grace again getting further and further away. I couldn’t be around her without kissing her or touching her. She was far too intoxicating for that. I didn’t trust myself to be friends with her.
I saved her number in my phone, promising myself that I wouldn’t use it, but the next night, I was weak. I pulled up her contact and started a message. I typed and deleted so many messages that my thumbs started to get sore.
I decided just to call her so that I could hear her voice. I could control myself right? I could get a drink with her without taking her home with me, couldn’t I?
My finger hovered over the green phone icon, but Ella’s voice played over and over in my head. As much as I wanted to see Grace again, I wanted my sister to be happy more. For once in my life, I decided to put someone else before myself, so I locked my phone and set it down on the couch next to me. When I crawled into bed at just after 10PM, I realized how much of a hold this girl had on me.
7
GRACE
Afew weeks after getting back from Miami, I found myself still stewing over everything that had happened with Dylan. I knew I should just let it go and forget about it, and if we hadn’t slept together, I probably would have. But something about him meant that he was permanently in my brain. It was excruciating having to think about someone constantly who I disliked so much.
Although… did I really dislike him? Or was I just mad about him swooping in like he was some kind of hero or something? Either way, he was taking up way too much space in my brain, and I wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.
Ella and Ihad plans to meet up one evening, and I contemplated asking her if Dylan was still in town. I knew he didn’t tend to stay in one place for long, but he and Ella had grown up here, so he spent a fair amount of time in the city.
She hadn’t ever brought Dylan along when we were together, so I knew she wouldn’t start without a little prompting. But I had no idea how to encourage it without making her totally suspicious. She knew how furious I had been in Miami, and there was no way I could bring him up without setting off alarm bells.
When she had called me to confirm our plans, it was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t get the words out. I left my apartment to go meet up with her, knowing I wouldn’t be seeing Dylan again until Ella’s wedding.
“Hey, babe!” she called as I approached her outside the restaurant we were going to.
I gave her a big hug and squeezed her tight. I hadn’t seen her since Miami, and I was desperately missing my best friend.
“I missed you,” she said, as if reading my mind.
“I missed you, too!” I squealed.
We walked inside the restaurant and only had to wait a few minutes before we were seated. Ella had a knack for finding the most incredible places that were somewhat off the beaten path. We never went anywhere that was full of tourists, or even anywhere that was crowded. Ella’s special skill had proven its worth time and time again in the years I had known her.
“So, what’s new with you?” she asked as we were seated. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”
“I know, it’s been way too long.”
“Tell me everything that’s been happening.”
Immediately, my mind went to Dylan. How I couldn’t stop thinking about him. How I longed for him to be in bed next to me each night. How he tasted. How he made me feel. But, of course, I couldn’t tell Ella any of that.
“Not much has been going on. Just work, you know?”
“Come on, there has to be something besides work.”
I shrugged, but couldn’t come up with anything else.
“That’s really it. You know how I am.”
“A bit of a workaholic,” she said with a smirk.
“Listen, you don’t get to my level of success at my age without being at least a little bit of a workaholic.”
“I know, I know. I’m just giving you a bad time.”
The waiter arrived at our table to take our drink order, and he was an incredibly handsome man, which Ella and I immediately both took notice of. She eyed me behind her menu and tried to signal at me to say something to him, but he walked away before I had the chance.
Ella glared at me, but all I could do was shrug my shoulders. I didn’t think I even wanted to talk to him, anyway. Sure, he was incredibly gorgeous, but I didn’t have time for dating or even for a hookup.
