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Grace places her hand on my knee. “When you’re ready. We’ll do it whenever you’re ready. Hell, I’ll shave my hair with you.”
My head snaps up. “You’ll do no such thing, Grace Danielle Shelton.”
The corner of her mouth twitches upward in amusement. “Pulling out the middle name, are we?”
I glare at her. “I’m serious. Nobody is shaving their head for me.”
“Okay, okay, no shaving heads. I get it. But seriously, there is still time. It’s not that…”
“Bad?” I finish for her, lifting the chunk of hair as proof.
“It’s only been a few sessions.”
“And things are only going to get worse from here.” I hold my friend’s gaze, needing her to understand this. “Things will get worse, Grace. Much, much worse. I have to do this. I have to do thisnow. While I still have the choice in my hands.”
“Jade…”
I shake my head at her, refusing her consolation. “I’ve l-lost…” My voice stutters as Prescott’s face appears in my mind. The pain in his eyes he was trying so hard to hide. Sucking in a breath, I force the words out. “I’ve lost so much already. What’s one more?”
“Maybe you should wait a few days. Today has been tough on so many levels…”
“No more waiting.” I shake my head. “You either help me now, or I’ll take the damn scissors and do it myself.”
I start to get to my feet, but Grace grabs my hands, stopping me. “Okay, we’ll do it now. Just wait a minute. We’re not doing this with scissors.”
I let her pull me to my feet and lead me to the living room. I curl up on the couch, pulling my feet to my chest as I stare at the screen, my mind reeling as the snippets from the last few weeks pass through my head.
I’m not sure how long I lay like that when I finally hear voices from the hallway. Soft footsteps come closer. “Jade?”
I look up to find Penny standing in the doorway. “What are you doing here?” I ask, forcing myself to brush my tears and sit upright.
“Grace asked me to come.” She tilts her head to the side. “Are you okay? Is your flu back? Your voice sounds funny.”
“I’m fine. It’s just been a long day.”
“Henry, take me to Jade,” Penny commands, placing her hand on his back.
Although the dog doesn’t have his working harness, he leads her around the furniture and to the open seat next to me. She lifts her hand, touching my cheek. “You’ve been crying. That doesn’t sound like you’re fine. What happened?”
What’s the point in hiding it? Everyone will find out eventually.
“Prescott and I broke up.”
“What? Why?”
“Because he’s a douchebag,” Grace says as she joins us in the living room, a box in her hand.
“He’s not a douchebag. He just can’t deal with this.” Grace opens her mouth, but I interrupt her. “I don’t want him to have to deal with this. It’s not fair to him. Not after… not after everything that has happened.” I tilt my chin at the box. “What’s that?”
Grace turns the box so I can see the image on it. “I remembered I saw hair clippers once when I was roaming in Mason’s bathroom.”
“Snooping around?”
“Of course not! I was looking for my toothbrush, which they stashed away somewhere. Anyway, Mason just brought it here.”
My stomach twists as I look over her shoulder, expecting to see her boyfriend’s tall form. Although Mason and I have been working through our issues, and our relationship has been better, I didn’t want him to see me like this.
“I sent him home,” Grace explains. She knows me too well for her own good. “It’s just us girls.”
