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They waved and went to find a quieter corner so they could drink and stare into each other’s eyes. They were truly disgusting in the cutest way.

I liked Stace for Hunter; I really did. She was boisterous in a fun way, and she got Hunter out of her rich-girl country club prissy bubble. Hunter needed to get shaken up a bit. She also needed to do something about her toxic relationship with her parents, and Stace had helped her there too.

Stace’s family was like the stock image family in the picture frames that they sold at Target. When Hunter first told me what they were like, I didn’t really believe her until I experienced the family for myself. Sure, I knew there were people with happy families, but I’d never really seen one quite like the Stacey/Hamilton blended brood.

It had made me a little nauseated and angry and jealous at the same time, but I’d kept that to myself.

Not everyone got dealt a good hand when it came to families and I’d gotten nothing but bad luck from my dad being a no-show to my mom being controlling and narcissistic.

It didn’t matter now. I was an adult and I was my own family and I had my friends. I didn’t need anyone else.

I slid into a seat next to Hunter on my break and sucked down a glass of water.

“You good?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “I am.” It really wasn’t that terrible tonight. I was just tired and ready to go home, but I still had another few hours and then cash out and cleanup and all that.

“We had multiple motives in coming tonight,” Stace said, her voice booming. She leaned her elbows on the table and her biceps bulged. Stace had to stay in shape for her job as a firefighter, but it shocked me every time I saw her at just how ripped she was. Hunter stared at her girlfriend, practically drooling.

“Uh huhhhh,” I said, wondering where this was going.

“My parents are having a big party at their house in three weeks. Kind of a summer, just because we want to kind of thing. Really lowkey. Cade and Eloise are going to come, and we wanted to know if you would.”

It sounded like exactly the kind of thing I wouldn’t normally want to go to. I’d have to talk to people I didn’t know and pretend to care about them and socialize. Not my most favorite thing after all my work hours.

But I knew that Stace’s parents put on a good party. The food would be great and as long as I had at least Cade and Eloise to hang around with, I’d probably be okay. I’d just have to make sure I drove myself so I could leave whenever I wanted.

“Yeah, okay. When is it?” The party was on a Sunday afternoon, so it wouldn’t conflict with my work schedule.

“We’re going to invite Jo too,” Hunter said. That would make it even better if she could come. I’d just attach myself to Jo and I’d be fine.

“I’ll be there. Probably,” I said, and Hunter glared at me. Tonight, her hair was twisted and wrapped into some complicated updo that was probably a lot easier to do than it looked and her dress was blue and sparkling under the lights. She truly looked like a modern princess and I bet Stace had lost her mind when she saw her. People always stared at Hunter because she was so gorgeous. It was kind of a relief to let her take the attention so I could lurk in the back and be a grump.

I had to go back to work, but just as I was ready to say goodnight to Hunter and Stace, my phone buzzed.

I know I need to go to bed, but I can’t stop. HELP The message was from Sophie and there was a screenshot of the fanfic website.

I zoomed in and read the title of the fanfic. Shit, I should have warned her that one was the kind you had to cancel everything for three days and read in one sleep-deprived session. That was exactly what I’d done, and it had wrecked me in the best way.

It was one of those fics that seemed sweet and light on the outside, but all of that was window dressing for one of the most emotionally devastating relationship arcs that I’d ever read. It was brilliant in its subtlety.

I’d say I’m sorry, but I also suffered. So I’m just passing on the suffering, like a good friend.

I didn’t even think about what I’d said until a while later, when I got a few seconds to check my phone.

A friend, huh. Is that what I am? Shit. I hadn’t meant to call her a friend, but I guess she was? I mean, she was literally in my phone as my padawan so was referring to her as my friend out of line? Not really.

It wasn’t a big deal.

I don’t share my favorite fanfics with just anybody, Sophie I responded, which was true, but she didn’t know just how much I’d revealed of myself by sharing those with her.

Chapter Fourteen

Sophie

I couldn’t stay up all night reading this fanfic and waiting for her to come home so I could yell at her about it, but I saved a document with my reactions that I could share with her during normal hours.

What was I going to do, wait outside her door and attack her the moment she came home from her exhausting job to yammer about fanfic? No. I definitely wouldn’t be her friend for very long if I did that.