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Lydia threw her head back, staring at the ceiling. “Ugh, fine.”
“It’s okay,” Erik said, flashing her a wicked grin. “I know you’re only doing it to buy my silence.”
“Kind of frosty in here...” Lydia said lightly, arranging cheese and crackers on a plate at Ashley’s kitchen counter. When she’d arrived twenty minutes earlier, Kurt had said hello and promptly walked off to his office, claiming he had work to do. It was probably true—human rights lawyers always have work to do—but Lydia could also tell she’d arrived in the middle of a fight.
“Hmm?” Ashley said. “I can turn the AC down.”
“You know I’m not talking about the AC.”
“Tell me about the love triangle you’re in.”
“What a lawyerly deflection,” Lydia replied, rolling her eyes. “I’m not in a love triangle. Luke is my trainer slash friend whom I accidentally slept with once. And Jack is my crush whom I’m definitely not sleeping with. Simple as that. Now, back to you and your drama. Why didn’t you text me not to come if you guys were in the middle of something?”
“Because I hardly get to see you anymore since you started all this training. And we’re not in the middle of anything,” Ashley said, popping the wine cork with way more force than necessary.
Lydia scoffed. “Yeah, right. This sort of feels like the kind of thing that doesn’t need an audience.”
Ashley put the wine bottle down, staring at the empty glasses in front of her. She sighed. “It’s just wedding stuff.”
“I thought you were making progress. You know, autumn. Maybe nail down an actual date, book a venue.”
“That’s what I thought too, but then Kurt’s parents decided they didn’t like autumn, so Kurt’s second-guessing. Then I called Mom to complain and she actually agreed with them.”
Lydia grumbled. She was going to have to text their mother and tell her to stop interfering. “So when dotheywant to have your wedding?”
“Mom wants summer, and Kurt’s parents want spring. When it’s rainy and chilly and gross. And no, I don’t care that rain is good luck. I just... I don’t know what to do anymore or how to make everyone happy, and what little free time we have turns into arguments about it.” Ashley’s voice grew thick. “We’ve waited so long, you know. Did everything right to set ourselves up for success. And now it feels like one stupid obstacle after another. Like maybe this isn’t supposed to happen for us. I feel like we’re stuck, trying to make this real. And I know you don’t have to be married to be a family. Iknowthat. I just... I want this so much.”
“Hey,” Lydia said gently as Ashley wiped tears from her cheeks. She reached for her shoulder and squeezed. “Everything’s gonna work out.”
When Lydia looked up, Kurt was standing in the hall, his face crumpled in concern. Lydia cocked her head, putting her maid of honor skills to good use. Kurt immediately crossed the living room, pulling Ashley into his arms. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m just frustrated,” Ashley muttered against his chest.
Lydia stuffed cheese into her mouth. “Good. Keep it coming.”
“I know we’re trying to keep the families happy,” Ashley said, stepping back to lean against the other counter. “I just don’t know where that leaves us in the middle of everything.”
“I’m sorry, babe.” Kurt sighed. “I think waiting this long worked against us. My mom has all sorts of expectations that I’m trying to live up to now and your mom’s basically egging her on.”
“You do know thatyou’rethe ones making this life together?” Lydia cut in. “They might be disappointed with your decisions, but everyone will learn to live with them or they won’t. I mean, in the grand scheme of things, it’s one day. This feels like a lot of upset feelings between the two people who are supposed to be vowing all this lovey-dovey crap.”
Kurt snorted. “‘Lovey-dovey crap?’”
“You know what I mean,” Lydia said, catching the cracker that flew out of her mouth.
Ashley started laughing, and once she did, she couldn’t stop. Kurt did too. Lydia poured them each a glass of wine. “Leave it to the chronically single sister to sort out everyone’s love life.”
“You’re single by choice,” Ashley said. “You just like to string along your options.”
“Oh, I’ve heard about this triangle,” Kurt said, grinning.
“It’snota triangle,” Lydia insisted. She’d know if she were in the middle of a love triangle.
Twelve
Luke
“We’re done already?” Lydia asked, wiping the sweat from her brow as they circled the end of the block, the gym coming into view. “There’s no way that was twelve miles. I mean, I was feeling pretty good about the run, but I also kind of thought I’d be gassed by the end. If you told me I still had another mile to go, I would have just kept running.”
