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Chapter 2
Just act normal.I mean, things are normal. Right? So just act like it!
Genevieve squared her shoulders as she prepped herself to walk through the doors of Cupid’s Arrow Bar and Grill. She’d met Ella for drinks roughly 3.76 times per week, every week, since they’d both hit drinking age over a decade ago. This shouldn’t have been a big deal.
But, oh. It. Was. It definitely freaking was.
She wasn’t sure why the knowledge that she and Gavin were both going to be calling Valentine Bay home at the same time again was making her so freaking jumpy, but it sure as hell was.
Nothing had to change. They could go on just being friends with benefits. They could keep the relationship under wraps. Nothing said they couldn’t. No one needed to find out what was—and had been—going on between them.
But deep down she knew that was utter bullshit. It was bound to come out now, and Ella would find out that her very best friend in the entire world had been lying to her for…well, ever.
God. That wouldn’t be a cute conversation.
Just keep your head on straight and get through drinks and you can figure out a plan tomorrow!
She took a deep breath and entered the bar. She spotted Ella waving and smiling at her from a booth in the corner, and she hurried over, sliding into the opposite side across from the happy, loving face of her friend.
She studied Ella’s trusting eyes, her rosy cheeks, her blonde curls. Fuck, she looked like a damn Disney princess! How can you lie to a Disney princess?
“I’ve been sleeping with Gavin,” Gen blurted, the words almost as much a surprise to her as they clearly were to the newly wide-eyed Ella.
“I’m sorry…what, now?” she breathed.
Genevieve sighed. Well, the cat was out of the bag. Gen hadn’t intended to let it escape, but that wily little feline bitch had come clawing its way out anyway.
“Yeah. Me. And Gavin. Doing the horizontal tango. Yep.”
Ella’s jaw dropped. “When did this happen?”
Gen snorted. “When didn’t it happen?”
Ella shook her head, as if to clear it. “Wait. I’m lost. We’re talking about, like, a drunken one-night stand thing, right?”
Gen tilted her head to the side. “Um, sure. I guess. Except it wasn’t always drunken. And it’s been more like one thousand nights than one. But, other than that, pretty accurate.”
Ella screwed her face up. “This is the most confusing conversation I’ve ever been a part of, and I’ve had my fair share. Please start at the beginning, and try to resist your natural urge to tell the entire story in sarcastic asides. I know that will kill you, but just give me the unadorned info, if you please.”
Gen grimaced. That was almost as painful a proposition as telling Ella about her secret trysts had been in the first place. “I’ll do my best,” she mumbled.
Ella smiled and patted her hand. “Hey, if grudging agreement is all I can get, I will certainly take it.”
“Gavin and I have been hooking up. Since high school.” She couldn’t bring herself to do more than mumble.
Ella’s eyes sparked. “You and Gavin hooked up in high school?”
Gen gave a tight smile. “No, hon. Since high school. One little word apart, but very different concepts.”
Ella collapsed against the booth and let out a long, low whistle. Gen had always been a little jealous of her ability to do that. It definitely conveyed a particular response that was difficult to get across in words.
“I can’t believe it. Genevieve Rollins and Gavin Valentine. Damn.” she breathed.
“Yeah. I kind of figured it would blow your mind.”
A storm cloud crossed Ella’s normally-sunny face then, and Gen knew the rough part of the conversation was about to start. She sat up straight and stiffened her shoulders. She was tough. She could do this.
Hurt threaded through Ella’s voice when she said, “More than that, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
