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***
It was Sunday. A whole day had gone by since Zach had kissed her and yet Libby still felt off balance. It was worrying. And don’t even get her started on her kitchen counter. She couldn’t even look at it without blushing.
Naturally, yesterday consisted mostly of pretending not to remember the night before. Suffice to say, it didn’t work. She couldn’t even eat breakfast at home without that damn toaster taunting her.
Avoiding her kitchen meant eating out. Eating out meant running into people. The beauty of small town living.
Anyway, that’s how she’d found herself catching up with Benny and doing her best beetroot impression every time Zach’s name was mentioned.
Seeing as Saturday’s strategy was a complete disaster, Sunday was going to be about facing her troubles head on. It started with Benny and now she was home, it continued with Cat. She’d FaceTimed her friend as soon as she got back and had spent the past twenty minutes filling her in on all the dirty details.
“You’re not seriously suggesting this friendship is a good idea, are you?” Libby asked in disbelief.
“Well, your social calendar isn’t exactly bustling.” She felt her face scrunch at Cat’s jibe. How rude. It didn’t matter that she had a point. “I mean come on, other than me, who else do you speak to?”
“I spoke to Stacey last week!” Libby protested.
“Yeah? And I bet it was about work, right? Advice on some project?” Damnit. “Thought so.”
Libby threw her head back against the sofa cushions. When did she become such a loser?
“Fine. So I don’t have loads of friends dying to hang out with me. But I have you. And the way I see it, it’s better to have quality over quantity.”
“Of course you have me.” Her friend’s face softened. “You’ll always have me. But I’m in another country, Lib. I’m not there to drag you out of the house and make sure you see sunlight.”
Libby watched as Cat let out a sigh. She then tucked a strand of her long, luscious black hair behind her ear.
“You’re a good person, Lib,” she continued. “I get why you don’t let people in, I really do. But I can’t help thinking you’re missing out. Shutting yourself off from everyone and everything. This Zach guy ... I know I don’t know him, but he’s obviously not an idiot if he recognises just how special you are. You know, a part of me is glad he’s pushing you out of your comfort zone, ‘cos heaven knows someone needs to.”
Oh God, she was going to cry. She was going to bawl her eyes out like the emotional wreckage she was and make her only friend feel even worse about being halfway across the world.
“I don’t do it on purpose, Cat. It’s just hard for me to connect.”
“You connected with me,” she countered.
Libby let out a snort. “Yeah, well, you’re an exception. You’re nice and kind and you don’t judge.”
“There are other nice, non-judgemental people out there, Lib. I promise you.”
The moisture her eyes had been battling with finally broke free and trickled down her cheeks. She missed her friend. She missed hanging out. Having fun. When was the last time she’d gone out and actually had fun?
You have fun with Zach.
Goddamnit, even her brain had jumped ship. Where was the loyalty?
“What was that? That look?” Stupid FaceTime had Cat’s beady blue eyes all over her.
It was Libby’s turn to sigh. “I was thinking of how much I miss you. How I’m sorely lacking in the fun department without you. And then I realized how much I’ve enjoyed hanging out with you-know-who.”
“And why do you look so upset about that?” Cat tilted her head as she asked the question.
“Because ...” she paused to let out a weary breath. “Because ... he’s not a friend. He can’t be my friend.”
“’Cos you wanna shag him?” Cat’s devilish smile almost had her own lips twitching. Almost.
“Ding, ding, ding ... I’m officially fucked.”
“Or not so much, as the case may be.” Her friend laughed.
