Page 125 of In It to Win It

“I, uh, told him about how I wanted Manny to know I was with him at the wedding. He freaked out because he thought I was just using him to get back at Manny.”

“Ohhhh.” Lacey grimaces.

“I explained it to him, and he apologized and it was fine. And then after what happened with Byron?—”

“Oh my God!” Everly claps a hand over her mouth. “Is Byron okay?”

“Yes, he’s fine.”

“What happened?” Lacey sits up straight, looking back and forth between Everly and me.

Everly tells the story, since she was there, and honestly even though it could have been tragic, she’s so funny and it’s such a ridiculous story, she has me and Lacey cracking up.

“You ladies are having fun.” Our server arrives with our drinks. He smiles as he sets them in front of us.

“Yes.” Lacey wipes a tear from her eye. “We are.”

I can’t believe I’m laughing when I feel so shitty. “I love you guys.”

“Oh, hon.” Lacey sobers. “Okay, back to you and JP . . .”

“He felt terrible about Byron.” I sip my drink. “Oh my God, this is good. This is going to last about two seconds.” I take another taste. “He’s so hard on himself. He makes a mistake and he beats himself up over it forever.”

Everly nods slowly. “Yeah. You’re right.”

“Anyway, he came over to my place and said he was breaking up with me because he’s not cut out for relationships.”

Lacey winces. “I did warn you about that.”

Everly frowns at Lacey. “That’s not really helpful, Lace.”

Lacey’s eyes widen. “I’m just trying to . . . shit. You’re right. I’m sorry. That wasn’t helpful at all.”

“I know you tried to warn me.” I sigh. “I should have listened. I thought . . . we could just have fun. I gave up on finding love after my parents split up, but . . . it found me.”

Lacey tips her head to one side. “You’re in love with him.”

My bottom lip quivers. “Yes.”

Both women reach out to squeeze my hand.

“He’s an idiot.” Everly huffs out a breath.

“Men,” Lacey says. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.” I finger my sunflower necklace. “He gave me this for Christmas.” I show them, and they peer at it and oooh and aaah. “And a sort of painting that says ‘You are my sunshine.’”

“Aw.” Lacey actually tears up. “That’s so sweet.”

I sniff. “I know. I can’t believe he turned around and broke up with me.”

“He’ll figure it out,” Everly says. “I know he will.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I’m going to kick him in the nuts and help him.”

I laugh. “Don’t do that. You don’t have to get involved.”

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