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Butthesewomen were who I wanted to be like. All of them funny, kind, beautiful, and already the sort of friends I only could have dreamed of.

“I…” I trailed off, searching for words, but nothing came.

“Come on, don’t just stand there!” Blake grabbed my arm, dragging me toward the couch. “We’ve got snacks, we’ve got drinks, and we’ve got stories to share.”

I didn’t resist, letting her lead me to the couch. I’d hung out with them several times, I really should be less awkward at this point.

“Wine or apple cider?” Monroe asked as she dug around in the cabinets for drink glasses.

“Apple cider,” I said softly, and she smiled at me sweetly before pouring me a glass.

The rest of the girls got drinks and began to settle in around me.

“Relax, Sloane. We don’t bite,” said Olivia, patting my knee.

I forced a smile, gripping the glass like a lifeline. “Right.”

Blake plopped down next to me, so close I could feel the warmth radiating off her.

“To friends,” Olivia sang as she held up her glass.

“To friends,” the rest of us said.

And I’d never meant those words more.

* * *

The hum of laughter and clinking glasses filled the room. We were sprawled out across the oversized sectional now, wine glasses in hand, the coffee table littered with takeout containers and half-eaten charcuterie.

“We should make this a weekly thing,” Blake said, leaning back against a plush cushion and sipping her drink.

“Sounds good to me,” Monroe said with a lazy yawn. “If the guys can handle being away from us for that long.”

Olivia snorted. “I could see them all waiting outside the door right now, waiting for the second we’re done.”

I giggled, and she raised an eyebrow. “You think I’m kidding. But I bet one of them is watching us right now.”

“What?” I giggled. “What are you talking about?”

The girls exchanged smirks.

“Lincoln’s got cameras all over our house…and they’re not for security,” Monroe said, rolling her eyes. “I’ll tell him something happened, and he’ll respond ‘I know,’ like a total creeper.”

My mouth dropped open in shock, but her voice was dreamy-like…like she thought it was cute.

Blake nodded. “I’m pretty sure that Ari’s always got his phone on, watching me either through my phone or with cameras. I’m not exactly sure,” Blake muttered, tapping her chin as she thought about it.

“And you guys are okay with that?” I gasped.

Anastasia leaned forward. “She thinks we’re crazy,” she groaned. “She’s never going to hang out with us again.”

I shook my head. “I—I don’t think you’re crazy. It just sounds so?—”

“Obsessive? Insane? Wonderful?” Olivia offered with a gleam in her eye.

I opened my mouth to respond and then closed it. Because honestly…it didn’t sound that bad.

“All of us come from pretty fucked-up backgrounds. We’ve mentioned pieces of it to you, but…I think…Iknowit’s what we needed. This all-consuming devotion. To know that we matter to someone more than anyone else.” Blake shook her head. “Trust me…I never imagined I would be okay with what Ari did to my ex—which is a story for another day so you don’t run away screaming,” she said, winking at me.