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Chapter Twenty
Edith
I ruined Christmas. Jack hasn’t said anything, but when I realized Shelby was pumping me full of water, and Aiden was taking my pulse, temperature, and checking my eyes, I knew I fucked up. My two best friends seemed to be fighting, although they were wonderful about putting whatever was bothering them aside to tend to me…again.
It was a bitter pill to swallow, no pun intended, and no amount of apologies was going to make this better. Self-medication is seriously frowned on. Maybe I would have felt better if Jack railed at me, expressed his disappointment, but his quiet way of pulling back hurts more than anything I’ve ever felt. The guilt and shame compound each other.
New Year’s Eve was a joke. A somber affair at the beach house where Jack stuffed us all with good food, music on the beach, and a two drink limit that killed any buzz I might have been seeking. He promptly tucked me into bed at 12:45am with a kiss on my head, as if I were a sullen child.
On the flight back, Jack sits in the row ahead of me with Aiden, and Shelby sits next to me. As she picks lint off her ripped jeans, she says, “There’s something I need to tell you, Edie.”
“It can’t be worse than what I did this week, ruining our vacation.” Stuck in self-pity mode, I sip from my plastic cup of complimentary ginger ale, wishing Jack would have acknowledged me this morning in some way besides his disappointed glances.
“Oh, you’d be surprised. Edith Willows does not have the market on fucking up.” When the steward comes by with drinks, we both hasten to refuse. Alcohol is pretty much distasteful to me on all levels now. My body is still revolting from overdoing it.
“Lay it on me, girlfriend. I got your back.” Chuckling, we sit for a moment and I wait for her to continue.
“I’m taking an art internship next semester.” For something I know she’s been really looking forward to, Shelby Moore seems like the least excited person I know.
“You make it sound like a death sentence, Shell-bell,” I rib her and she nods.
“Well, it’s in Italy. I leave almost as soon as we get back. I don’t have much time to get myself packed up to go.” Stunned, I look at her. Blonde hair, bright eyes, beautiful smile, trembling lips. Shelby is hiding something and she looks about as fragile as I feel.
“That’s kind of sudden. When did they let you know you were accepted?” I’m not sure I want to know, but my best friend, the yin to my yang, is leaving on an international adventure before I have an adventure of my own. While I’ve decided not to testify on the stand, I’m horribly conflicted with if I’m making the right choice.
“Right before Thanksgiving.” That means she knew before she met Aiden’s family for the holiday.
“And you told Aiden then?” Confused, I’m not sure how this all played out. I review the timeline in my head. When was the last time they were a carefree couple. Heck. Would I have even noticed as wrapped up as I was in my own shit?
“No. I told him Christmas morning.”
“Holy fuck-balls! Shelby, are you serious?” I look to the seats in front of us, but both guys are leaning back with ear buds in their ears, likely watching the inflight movie.
“I know. I just… I had to tell him, but there never seemed to be a good time. He’s pissed, but it’s only for the semester. After that, we’ll figure things out…or not.”
“What do you mean ‘or not’? The world does not compute without my two partners in crime being together. Please, let this be some sort of joke.”
“I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know before… I know we’ve had a lot going on this year, and you are my best friend. I just, you know…” We both sigh deeply, lost in our respective thoughts, the chaos brewing collectively outside us. Yeah, we both certainly have had a lot of shit going on, but I wish I had been a better friend so she would have felt comfortable telling me this in November, not when she’s about to get on another plane and fly across the damn ocean.
“You know what we need?” I look over at Shelby.
“What’s that?” she says sadly. I cannot, in good conscience, send my friend off mopey.
“We need a girls’ night out.” I am not convinced it’s a good idea, but since I’m batting zero, I decide to go for it. The whole “you only live once” motto and all that.
“How about I be the designated driver? I’ve still got tons of packing to do in the next forty-eight hours.”
“All right. Whatever floats your boat.”
“Can we invite the boys?” When she pleads with me like that, it’s hard to say no.
“Shelby, how can you sabotage girls’ night out already?” Typically, she’s the carefree one and I’m the one refusing to go out.
“Well, I’ll be gone for the next several months, so we should probably bring them along.” Shelby has a good point, although it might be difficult to be free and consume as much alcohol as I might like with Jack hawking every glass I pick up.
Our landing in Newark is uneventful. After we pick up our luggage, I convince Aiden to join us for drinks at a local comedy club downtown. Jack hesitates, but we manage to sway him. It will be good to hear a few laughs and let loose, forgetting about Miami.
Jack
