Page 623 of Manhattan Bossholes

“Amazing,” I sighed. “Just say it.”

“Manufactured,” Nina corrected. “She’s very put together, but she looks bored out of her mind. See how her eyes are kind of glazed over? My guess is, she checked out of the relationship months ago, but then the book became a hit, and now she’s just sticking around for the free publicity.”

Could she be right? I took a closer look at Kira and saw her try and fail to hide a grimace when Steve called her “honeybun.” Huh. Maybe everything wasn’t so perfect in paradise after all. It didn’t make what he’d done to me any less humiliating, but there was a hint of satisfaction in knowing that his life might suck at least a little bit, too. Call me petty, but I’ll take my schadenfreude where I can find it.

Nina joined me on the couch, wrapping me in a hug before she leaned over me to grab the remote and turn off the TV. “That’s enough of that!”

“Thank you,” I sighed. “It was a car crash that I couldn’t stop staring at.”

Nina squeezed my hand in solidarity.

“Sort of my life these days, just a series of rubber-necking car crashes,” I sighed. I closed my eyes, hoping it might prevent them from welling up. “What’s the world saying about the girl who got dumped on a livestream?”

“Stop,” Nina chastised me. “He didn’t dump you during it. No one knows what happened afterward but the two of you. And the only person who looked bad in that video was Cameron.”

The ache in my chest returned.

“He’s a terrible person,” Nina continued. “I told you how he talked about Tyler. What kind of friend says those sorts of things?”

I shook my head. “Honestly, it doesn’t sound like him at all. He treats Tyler like a brother. Better than a brother, based on how he acted about Aiden and Megan. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Um, why are you standing up for him?” Nina punched me in the arm.

“You’re right,” I replied glumly. “I’m done talking about him. Thinking about him.”

“Good,” Nina said, hopping up off the couch. “I need to keep you busy today, so meet me in the kitchen once you’re dressed.”

“What do you mean? And why are you still in your comfy pants? You have to leave for work in like thirty minutes.”

“I’m off today, just like you.” she replied, her eyes going soft. “I hated the thought of you calling in sick and spending the day all by yourself, feeling miserable. I’ll be your comic relief, to keep your mind off, uh, everything.”

“Are you serious?” I asked. “You did that for me?”

“Lis, of course I did. I will always be here for you when you need me. In the treehouse, our dorm room, here, in our future bookshop, and beyond. It’s you and me, kid.”

I wanted to cry, but this time they were happy tears.

“Neen,” I jumped off the couch and ran to her with outstretched arms. “Thank you!”

She folded me into a hug, and we clung to one another for a few seconds. “Fuck both of them.”

“Yes, fuck them,” I agreed. “Now, what are we doing in the kitchen today? Brownies? Cupcakes?”

“Barley soup!”

I made a gagging face.

“Stop it,” she chastised. “You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want it. Anyway, it’s not all for us. There’s someone else I know who had a rough day yesterday.”

She headed for the kitchen, and I followed behind her. “Don’t say Tyler.”

Nina whipped around to face me. “And why not?”

“C’mon, he’s a mess, we both know that,” I said gently. “Cameron said as much. I thought you weren’t going to get involved with him.”

“Tyler is going through a tough spot right now, so I want to be a friend to him, nothing more.”

“Neen…” I gave her a pointed look.