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“You were right. Charlie needed to know it wasn’t about her. I never knew how to tell her.”
He watches me. “You didn’t tell her all of it.”
“I don’t want Charlie getting the wrong idea.”
“And what’s that?”
“That we’re getting back together.”
“Then what the hell are you doing with her? Some sick way of saying goodbye?”
“Maybe.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but between the three boys I have left, you’re probably the dumbest.” He pours himself a glass of iced tea and goes back into the room.
I pull out my phone, needing some reassurance that I’m not a complete asshole.
Did you win our fight earlier or did I?
Charlie: I did, silly.
Just wondering.
26
“Ican’t believe you’re leaving me.” Pepper cries in the back of the limo on our way to Hideaway Springs from the spa in the city. Lonnie went home after dinner and Tess drove separately, so it's nice to have some time to talk.
The three of them raved about my purple tulip tattoo for half the night, discovering it in the sauna after our massage. Tessa has tattoos, but not as colorful as mine.
“I’m not leaving, we’ll still see each other. Just like you and Lonnie. You don’t live in the same town, and you hang out all the time.”
It’s unfortunate I can’t be as tipsy as Pepper is right now. I have too much to do tonight to be at the liberty of having more than one tequila shot and a glass of wine.
I learned that Pepper is an emotional drunk. And right now, I have nothing to soothe her anticipated separation anxiety because I’ve still got nothing concrete about where I’m living.
A new building is going up in Denver right down the block from the Children’s Museum, where I applied for a job. But before I can be approved for the apartment, I need that job—or any job, really. I gave my notice at the library. This week will be my last, which isn’t convenient since I have a lot to wrap up before my last day and, coincidentally, no time to finish planning for Pepper’s wedding.
I really didn't plan this through.
This weekend alone at the Inn should help. There will be no hot naked distractions, no stressing over how to tell Noah that I don’t really have a date with Landon for the wedding. And no big date night plans with him either.
I need to stay in a cave and plan and schedule and—maybe cry. Because the last few weeks with him have been…addicting and incredible and…all I ever wanted.
And in one week, I have to give it up.
Will he throw me out when I tell him I lied? Will he hate me forever?
Or will he lift me off my feet and call me his?
Sadly, in my experience with Noah, I've only known the former.
“It’s not the same,” Pepper whines, then watches me strangely.
“What?”
“I guess I was hoping that with you living with Noah these last few weeks, things…might happen with you two. And maybe you’d stay?”
I manage a smile. It’s hard not telling my best friend about what’s going on with Noah. Especially when I was one of the few people who knew about her fake relationship with Chase last year.
