I wouldn’t respect him so damn much if it were any other way, so I back off, even though part of me wants to argue this is the best place for her right now. “Make sure she’s safe, wherever she goes. I couldn’t live with myself if some asshole . . .” I cringe just thinking about her old landlord.
He nods. “I know, man. I will.”
I retreat another step. “I’ll get out of the way, then.”* * *She’s gone. I watched my own motherfucking best friend pack up Stella’s shit and drive off.
I can’t blame her. It’s a special kind of torture being this close when we’re doing nothing but hurting each other. But watching the guys’ trucks drive off with her stuff felt so damn final, and I don’t want to believe it’s over. It wasn’t supposed to be this way.Chapter Twenty-FourStellaI’ve been sad all week, but today is a happy day. Today I got to watch my lifelong best friend renew her vows with her first love. I watched Brinley and Marston make their promises, and instead of feeling sad or jealous, I felt hopeful. I’m still hurting. My feelings for Kace run too deep, and I won’t get over this anytime soon, but if those two found their way back to each other after all the heartache and obstacles life threw at them, maybe there’s hope for a cheap porno slut like me.
Brinley’s staff turned the patio from a ceremony site into a reception venue seamlessly, and then there was food and cake and toasts, and then I got to watch the best couple I know look into each other’s eyes as they danced.
All my sadness will be there tomorrow, but today’s a good day.
“Hey, beautiful,” Abbi says, wrapping her arm around my waist. “Are you hanging in there?”
I lean my head on hers and sigh. “Yeah. Thanks to about three and a half glasses of champagne.”
She giggle-snorts. “Right? I’m going to regret the bubbly tomorrow, but it is so good.” She turns her head and studies me. “You’re really okay?”
“Not completely. I’m getting there, though. Thanks to you guys.” Because my friends have come together for me in a big way over the last two weeks. Not only have they all kept their mouths shut about who Itsy really is, they listened when I cried and second-guessed. They plotted new living arrangements for me and even helped me study, though my chemistry grade is looking like a lost cause. Nursing school might not be in the cards for me. I’m sadder about not having a prospective solid income than I am about not getting to be a nurse. That was my mom’s dream, anyway. The part that appealed to me was the paycheck and maybe the respect. Not many people are impressed when they find out you’re a receptionist, even if you’re the best receptionist a business could want.
“I don’t want to rush you,” Abbi says, “but if you wanted to tell him, there’s no one in the office across from Brinley’s, and I left it unlocked.”
I close my eyes. “I kind of don’t want to ruin the day, but there’s another part of me that knows I should tell him while I’m feeling at peace about everything.”
She takes my hand and squeezes. “For what it’s worth, I think he’s being an idiot and he should throw himself at your feet and offer you the world.”
I scoff and shake my head. “You wouldn’t feel that way if you knew the whole story.”
She gives my hand another squeeze. “I knew Reggie back in the day, and he liked to run his mouth,” she says, referring to my college boyfriend.
“God.” I squeeze my eyes shut. “Does everyone know?”
“Personally, I never believed his stories. I thought he was just full of it and trying to look like a badass,” she says. When I open my eyes, she’s frowning at me. “What he did wasn’t just wrong, it was illegal. None of this is your fault.”
I swallow hard. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
“I emailed you some links to sites that explain your rights and the contact info to a lawyer friend. That is, if you want to do something about it. I’ll support you, whatever you decide.”
“I appreciate that, Abbi, but I can’t afford—”
“She’ll do it pro bono. She has experience with this, so helping women like you is a passion project for her.”
I don’t know what to say. I’m so grateful and overwhelmed, and after years of feeling like my best option was to hide, it’s hard to wrap my head around an alternative. “Thank you,” I whisper.
“Of course. This is what friends are for.” She cocks her head to the side. “If those videos really are a deal breaker for Kace, he doesn’t deserve you.”
I bite my bottom lip and nudge her shoulder with mine. “You’re going to make me cry.” I’d expect those words from Savvy or Brinley, but Abbi and I aren’t as close, and considering how protective she is of her brother . . . “That means a lot.”