AllFreeNovel
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It’s wrong, but I don’t care.
I lean my elbows on the matching row of bleachers behind us and make myself comfortable. Rory shoots me a glare, but again, I pretend I don’t notice.
“What time do you have to go back?” I ask, changing the topic to a safer subject.
Rory sighs. “Probably soon if I want to have time to shower before heading into Hardin.”
“It’s the weekend and summer,” I retain. “You work too hard for someone who isn’t even in charge.”
“…Yet,” she finishes, looking out the corner of her eye.
Unlike her, I fully crane my neck. “What?”
“I’m not in chargeyet. I will be one day,” she corrects, not wholly taking her eyes off the new group of people who’ve taken our spots. A firmness forms in the creases of her eyes.
“Right, so take it easy.” I nudge her. “Come have lunch with me.”
“I don’t know…Abram said the meeting would only be a few hours—”
“—Right! Exactly. He’ll be fine.”
She chews on the side of her lip but doesn’t say anything more, so I push.
“Besides, Dad agreed to watch Aiden, and he should be going down for a nap soon, so I have a little extra time. Ditch work and come eat lunch with your bestie.” My smile is as overripe as it is hopeful.
I really do want to hang out. After our macaroni night, I realized how important it is to be social. I may be a mom, but I still deserve to have fun every so often. Take time for myself.
When you’re in the bubble of being a mom for so long, you start to lose sight of the world around you. I abandoned a part of myself after I had Aiden. I’m starting to understand I need to figure out who I am again.
I bat my eyelashes and it gains a half smirk from her. Rory lifts a playful shoulder. If my comment earlier upset her, it’s overshadowed now.
“It’ll be fun.”
Her eyes slant at my goading. She hasn’t said yes yet.
“Why don’t we worry about how you convinced me signing up for this tournament was a good idea,” she says, pulling a meonme and changing the topic back to why we are here, to begin with.
Uncalled for anarchy.
“Come on, I told you why,” explaining again anyway, even as something in my belly tightens. “It’s just a thing we do in my family.”
Rory rolls her eyes, but it’s lighthearted, so I continue on.
“Also, we already signed up to compete, so don’t even think about backing out on me now. You owe me, bestie. We’re in this together.”
“You,” she falters. “Yousignedusup for this, and I got stuck tagging along after you handed me a form with my name already registered to the list.”
“Don’t even try to pretend you’re upset with me after today.” I arch a skeptical brow. “I know you were having fun out there. Plus, this is basically what everyone does on the beaches back home. The place I love…where I left…”
I let my voice drawl off, letting it hang between us. Some good old-fashioned guilt-tripping never hurt anyone, right?
I hear her breath of surrender and I don’t hesitate, side-hugging her as I squeal out my excitement. “This is going to be so fun,” I promise.
“Yeah, yeah.” Patting me off, she tries to hide her grin. “Even if this all reeks of hidden motives.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” My smile is victorious.
“Sure, you don’t.”
