Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 102361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
“Ava’s on her way.”
“Does she have today off, too?”
“She doesn’t usually go in to work until later because she likes to do Pilates in the morning.” Harper shudders. “That sounds horrible to me.”
I smirk because it doesn’t sound fun to me, either.
Not that I’ve ever done Pilates.
Harper pulls into her garage just as Ava pulls in behind us, and we all climb out of the cars. Harper gestures for us to follow her inside through the garage door.
She has a nice mudroom area where we kick off our shoes, and when we walk into the kitchen, Blake is there, leaning against the counter, drinking his coffee. He’s in scrubs, so it looks like he’s about to go to work.
And he looks so much like Brooks, it almost breaks my heart all over again.
“Good morning, ladies,” he says, but he only has eyes for his girl.
“They’re about to get disgusting,” Ava says, taking my hand and pulling me through the kitchen and to a nearby living room. “Hi and goodbye, Blake.”
“Hey, Blake,” I say with a little wave as Ava pulls me past them.
Blake smirks, sets his coffee down, and I catch a glimpse of him pulling Harper into his arms just as we turn the corner and they’re out of sight.
“It’s good that they’re in love,” I tell Ava as I sit on the sofa and pull my feet up under me. “They’re having a baby. They’re getting married. These are all beautiful things.”
“I agree, but I don’t want to watch them make the baby.”
I snort and set my bag at my feet. Harper joins us, her lips shiny and a little swollen, and the bun that her hair was in is gone.
Looks like Blake had his hands in her hair.
That’s adorable.
“Okay, I have breakfast burritos that I premade in my air fryer. Don’t worry, Jules, they’re gluten-free. I haven’t had gluten in this house in a long time.”
“Thank you.” I don’t know what I did to find these friends, but I’m grateful. I haven’t had girlfriends in … I don’t even remember.
Justin did a good job of isolating me from just about everyone.
“Jules gave me the short version: that you took the day off, you’re not sick, but you’re not great either.” Ava’s eyes soften as she smiles at me. “We’re in the cone of silence here. You can tell us anything.”
I eye Harper, and she nods with encouragement. “Blake isn’t here. So if this is about Brooks, I’m not his soon-to-be sister-in-law, I’m your friend.”
I blow out a breath and stand to pace.
“I really love your house. It’s so spacious and nice.”
There’s no reaction, and when I turn to look at my friends, they’re both just staring at me.
“I fucked Brooks. Or he fucked me, and then it was weird, and I ran out and told him never again, but he still has my car, and I hate that he hates me, and I miss him, and I just want to pull the covers over my head and die.”
Ava’s smile is as wide as the Grand Canyon.
Harper starts to slow clap.
“Why are you happy? Did you not just hear what I said?”
“Oh yeah, we heard,” Ava says, nodding. “You fucked Brooks, and it’s about damn time. Was it good? Where were you? We need details.”
“Details,” Harper echoes.
So I tell them. I start from the beginning, seeing his lights on, taking him dinner, and everything that happened until he left my apartment that night.
“You’ve been struggling with this for a week?” Ava demands. “Why weren’t we your first phone call?”
“Because … I don’t know, you guys, I’m not good at being a friend.”
The air fryer dings, and Harper holds up a finger.
“Stop right there. Let’s go to the kitchen.”
We file in, and Harper sets the burritos on plates, and they smell so freaking good. I don’t even know how much I’ve eaten in the past week, since I’ve been so up in my head.
“You’re a good friend, Juliet,” Ava says after taking a bite.
“I’m so out of practice,” I admit with a sigh. “I used to have friends, especially in college. But Justin made sure that he was my only friend and isolated me from everyone.”
“Wait, who’s Justin?” Harper asks, and I share a look with Ava.
“My late husband.”
Harper’s burrito drops onto her plate with a plop, and she stares at me with wide eyes.
“What?”
“He was your husband?” Ava demands.
“It’s a whole thing.” I sigh and roll my shoulders, trying to get the kinks out. “A long-ass story.”
“I’m wide awake and here for it,” Harper states. “Spill it. Tell us everything.”
“Tell us everything,” Ava echoes. “And no leaving stuff out this time. You told me about your history with Brooks from before, but you didn’t say that Justin was your husband.”
“This is a whole lot of drama.”
“Great. Tell it.” Harper rolls her hand in a move-along gesture.