Page 10 of Please, Forgive Me

My best friend was one of a kind. She could turn anything into a joke, and that was one of the many reasons we were so close—even if she sometimes took her snark a little too far.

“Oh right—the search for the Kindle romance millionaire,” I said, kicking off my shoes and collapsing onto the couch. “And how’s that going? Any billionaire ready to fund your dreams?”

She made a face and plopped down next to me.

“I’d say I’m still in the interview phase. The market’s tough, you know? I’ve got to keep my options open.”

“Options open, sure.” I couldn’t help laughing again—Carolina always had that effect on me. “So basically, you’re waiting for an angel investor to drop from the sky?”

She sighed, smiling.

“Exactly. In the meantime, I’ll take a good show to drown my poor-girl sorrows.”

“No show tonight, but I do have a pile of work from Diego Bittencourt you’re more than welcome to help me ignore.” I smiled, though his name still echoed in my mind.

It reminded me just how that man could be as insufferable as he was… fascinating. But I wasn’t about to admit that out loud—especially not to Carol.

“Oh yes, the irresistible Diego.” Carolina winked, never missing a chance to tease. “When are you going to admit he’s your future love investor?”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stop a smile from tugging at my lips.

“Don’t start. He’s my boss, and that’s all he’s ever going to be.”

She raised her brows, her face clearly saying she didn’t buy a word of it.

“Sure, sure. Keep denying it, honey. Just don’t be shocked when he starts wanting more than reports and coffee.”

Yeah, she already knew about my little weekend adventure—because if there’s one thing Carolina and I definitely weren’t, it was a vault for secrets.

“Carolina!” I yelped, laughing as I threw a pillow at her. “You’d better quit it!”

She laughed out loud, dodging the pillow with exaggerated agility, and sprawled even more comfortably on my couch like she owned the place. But that was exactly what I lovedabout her: Carolina always knew how to make me laugh, even on my most stressful days.

We were a riot together, and deep down we both knew that no matter what happened, we’d always be there for each other, turning everything—and everyone—into a joke.

“Okay, I’ll stop… for now,” she said with a wink. “But one day you’re going to thank me for all these predictions.”

I rolled my eyes again, but the smile stayed. Because as crazy as Carolina was, she was my crazy. And honestly, I had no idea what I’d do without her turning my days into little episodes of some bizarre comedy.

“How’s life?” I asked, leaning my head back on the couch, already bracing for a dramatic answer.

“Same as always. Living in my safety net of despair,” she replied, theatrically. She lifted her hands to the ceiling, as if pleading with the gods of patience. “But at least I ordered pizza to be delivered here—and for you to pay! That counts as progress, right?”

Carolina was always in some kind of self-declared crisis, and her “safety net of despair” had basically become her default setting. And yet, somehow, she always made it sound funny.

“Pizza? You just saved my night—even if I’m paying.” I sighed happily, sinking deeper into the cushions beside her. “So, while we wait for the magical food, what are we doing?”

She glanced around the room like she was plotting something big, then flashed a mischievous smile.

“How about one of our ridiculous dances? You know, the ones that make us look like complete lunatics?”

I burst out laughing.

“Oh, sure. Because nothing screams responsible adult like an impromptu dance session.”

“Exactly!” Carolina shot up, shoving the rug aside to clear space in the middle of the room. “Come on, superstar! Life’s too short not to dance like an idiot once in a while.”

I stood, laughing as I hooked my phone to the speaker. The moment the beat kicked in, we both let go completely.