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Shaking my head, I push to my feet. “It’s fine. I’ll be fine. Eventually.”
“There is no eventually about it!” Grace jumps to her feet and wraps her arms around me. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
My body stiffens at the sudden nearness, a knot forming in my throat. I swallow, trying to push it down, but it’s like the damn thing is stuck. “I didn’t want to believe it was the truth. I knew it could be. Ever since Mom became sick again, I’ve known there was a possibility, but I never thought… I guess I never thought it could happen so soon.”
I never thought life could be so cruel.
I should have known better.
“It’s going to be okay.”
“Grace is right,” Rei whispers as she joins us, hugging me from the other side. “We’ll be there every step of the way.”
Tears blur my vision, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to prevent them from falling.
“Is there anything you need?” Penny asks, getting to her feet to join us. The girls step back, and she gently places her hands on my shoulders before letting them fall around my waist and hugging me. “Something we can do? Do you need us to go with you to your appointment?”
To go with me and have a front-row seat to this trainwreck? Yeah, I think not.
I shake my head. “Just…” I sniffle, rubbing my nose with the back of my hand. “Please act normal. I don’t want things to change just because…” I wave my hand, not wanting to say those words out loud once again. “I need something normal in my life right now. And if you all keep looking at me with those sad puppy eyes, I won’t be able to do it.”
“Hey, now!” Penny pulls back and frowns at me. “The only puppy eyes you see are Henry’s when he’s trying to sneak an extra treat.”
Henry barks his agreement, his tail wagging excitedly.
“I think he wants a treat now,” I chuckle, happy for the distraction and lean back.
“Probably.” Penny places her hand on his head, rubbing him behind his ears. “You’ll have to wait until we get back home, bud. Sorry.”
“Or maybe not.” Grace goes to the kitchen cabinet and pulls out a box. The moment Henry hears the rustling of treats in the box, he tilts his head, listening.
“Go on, get one,” Penny says with a sigh. Before she even finishes, Henry makes his way to Grace, plopping his butt down as he waits for the treat.
“Such a good boy,” Grace praises, giving him a cookie.
He munches on it happily before returning to Penny’s side. “He so is,” she agrees. “And spoiled to the bones. And while we’re on the topic of boys, don’t think we forgot about the bomb Grace dropped.”
“Right!” Rei looks at me, her brow raised. “You andPrescott? Seriously? The Prescott you can’t possibly stomach to be in the same room with because you’re instantly at each other’s throats Prescott?”
Our first kiss flashes in my mind, the memory like a punch to the gut. “Quite literally at times.”
“What does that mean?”
I guess today’s the day for truths.
It was only a matter of time, anyway. I could probably pretend I don’t know what she’s talking about. After all, there is nothing going on between Prescott and me. Not any longer.
But I’m tired. So damn tired of all the secrets and lies.
“I told you guys they’d end up together!” Penny clasps her hands, a smile forming on her lips. “I swear you could cut the tension between them back in Hawaii.”
“Prescott Wentworth?” Grace shakes her head; disbelief is clearly written on her face. “Nixon’s best friend and Jade’s nemesis. I wouldn’t have guessed it, not in a hundred years.”
“He’s not my nemesis.”
Not any longer, although I don’t think he ever was. Not really.
“So what is he?”
