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Frankie sighed. “It’s nothorrible, it’s what happened to you. And nobody said he needs all the details, let him know what you’re comfortable with.”
Ollie made a face, trying to figure out how that would go over. If she was being honest, Ollie didn’t even know if she was looking to date or sleep with him. This was exactly why she’d chased him off the first time he asked her out. Because she didn’t trust herself to be with someone of the opposite sex without having a panic attack.
“Do you remember what you said to me before I went on my first date after I got over what Trent had done to me?” Frankie asked, leaning her hip against the kitchen counter. Ollie shook her head and her friend continued. “You said, ‘Frank, if this guy can’t see how great you are, he doesn’t deserve even this one date. Go out there, show the world the actions of one asshole is not going to stop you from living your best life.’”
Ollie blinked back tears, staring at her bare feet as she thought back to that day. Frankie had gotten pregnant by her high school boyfriend who forced her to get an abortion because he didn’t want to betrappedby her. She didn’t tell her grandmother, but Ollie went with her to the clinic, held her hand as she went through the procedure and watched her best friend collapse in on herself for months afterwards. It wasn’t so much the abortion that hurt her, but the way Trent treated her and the news of the pregnancy.
“And,” Frankie continued, chuckling when Ollie gave herthe look, “I also remember what I told you after Pierce was gone.”
Ollie wiped her tears and smiled as she repeated what Frankie told her all those years ago. “You said, ‘We are badass women who can’t be put down by any man, no matter what they call us. You, my friend, will rise from this and like a phoenix you will slay everything in life.’”
When Ollie finished speaking, they were both sobbing messes and they wrapped their arms around each other, holding on tight as their sobs turned into laughter and they were screaming when the fire alarm started blaring because Frankie forgot to keep an eye on the wok.
They finally settled on ordering food and finished two whole bottles of wine before Ollie was able to think straight. And she realized Frankie was right—she was punishing Jackson based on his gender and not based on the kind of person he was. She already used his existence to give herself quite a few orgasms, and besides, he seemed like a good guy. He was funny, charming and a little awkward. She liked the way he made her feel and Ollie knew if she didn’t give him a chance, she might regret it later on.
