Page 7

*middle finger emoji*

Jack

Brad, you still okay to drop my Amex off to Ali for the bachelorette weekend?

Harry

I’ll drop your Amex off. I bet Ali Cat would love to see me.

Jack

I don’t trust you with my Amex, and I think Ali would rather walk on broken glass than have you go to her apartment.

Harry

*middle finger emoji*

Brad

On my way now.

I put the phone down on my dresser next to the chain. Picking it up, I run my thumb over the familiar numbers etched on the silver tag.

I exhale, the ache still lingering, but I push on, fastening the chain around my neck. I grab my keys and phone, already mentally running through the night ahead. Stop by Ali and Gabriella’s. Stop by the club, then my meeting. Keep moving. Stick to the plan.

I park up outside their apartment building, punch in the security code, and head up to their floor. I knock twice on the white wooden door, and a few moments later, I’m greeted by Ali, blonde hair piled up on her head, and wearing a pink yoga set.

“Hey, you,” she greets warmly, a lot warmer than she greets Harry. They are forever going at each other. Personally, I think there’s something there between them, but I’ll let them figure that out.

“Hey,” I respond, stepping inside their apartment as she opens the door wider for me. I’ve been here a few times. I’ve dropped them home after a night out because I am always the designated driver. It’s what I would call a typical girl apartment. Everything is pink, white, clean, and smells of something sweet.

I pass her the Amex card, and she brings it to her chest. “Ah, thank you. What a man Jack is. Can you believe he’s giving us a credit card for the weekend?”

“Love will make you do stupid things,” I say dryly as I follow her towards the kitchen.

She turns to face me and rolls her eyes. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Just a water, please.” She reaches inside the fridge and slides a bottle of water across the countertop towards me. Undoing the cap, I look around. “Is Gabriella here?”

She nods, taking a sip of her own bottle of water. “She’s getting ready for her date.”

I’m caught a little off guard and my stomach dips. “A date with who?” I ask curiously as she doesn’t often date. Gabriella isyounger than all of us, and I’ll admit, I have a soft spot for her and feel protective of her in a different way than I do for Ali or Ria.

“Some guy her parents set her up with. She doesn’t seem very excited about it,” Ali says.

“So why is she going?”

“God only knows. You know what she’s like. She can’t say no.”

“Have you met him? What’s he like?” I ask a little more sternly than I intended.

“Chill, Papa Bear. She’s a big girl. She’ll be okay. Besides, if her parents set them up, I have every faith he will be dull and boring and she will be home by 9 pm.” I feel my jaw tensing, and I toss the bottle of water between my hands.

“I better head out. I’ll go say hi to her before I go.”

“Sure, I have a date with Channing Tatum anyway.” She grins, waving a bag of chips at me. Knowing she means a movie, I roll my eyes in a playful way and head towards Gabriella’s bedroom.

I hear a frustrated huff coming from there. The door is open, and I tap it with my knuckles. “Knock knock,” I say, scanning the room, but I can’t see her. Her large white wooden bed takes center stage in the space. A mound of clothing is piled up on her bed. Her walls are a crisp white with framed photographs of our friends, some artwork of ballerinas, and her days as a dancer. A desk with a lamp that’s lit sits in front of her picture window, and a light streams from the bathroom door where I can hear her rattling around.