Page 10 of Make My Heart Malt

“Finally! I’m glad you’re alive.” Rylee wraps her arms around me in a hug.

I wince from her loud voice. “Alive might be a stretch. I’m physically here, and that’s the best I can offer right now.” I untangle myself from her and step out of the way so she can enter.

Once in the kitchen she drops her purse on the counter and spins to face me. “Explain. What happened yesterday? All I heard was you threw a beer at Garrett Dawson and Lach was covering your shift.”

“Technically, it was two.” Rylee’s eyes widen to the size of a saltine cracker. I throw myself onto a stool next to her as she stands. “Let’s say the ghost of ex-best friends past has made an appearance.”

Her mouth falls open, then closes like a fish starving for water before she leans forward. “Hold your panties. You’re friends with Garrett Dawson?”

I swallow a gulp of water, not entirely sure if I want to rehash our history so soon. “Past tense. Wewerefriends. All that's left is hate and resentment.”

She rests her elbows on the counter. “How did I not know this? Why didn’t you tell me you knew Garrett Dawson?”

“Something happened ten years ago that I chose to block out.”

Rylee takes the seat next to me and props her head on her hand. “It must have been serious.”

“As serious as losing your best friend can be.” I give Rylee the CliffsNotes version of my friendship with Garrett since she won't stop prying until I do. I start with how I dated his brother Tony and end with how Garrett left without saying goodbye and basically disappeared from the face of the earth. The only reason I knew he still existed was seeing him on TV during baseball season and in the tabloids during the offseason, holding hands with this actress and that super model. It all got very tiresome.

“Damn. I can’t believe you were friends with Garrett Dawson, and even more so that you never told me.”

“You don’t always need to refer to him asGarrett Dawson. Back then, he wasn’t the big Home Run Playboy he is now.” The home run part has always been true, but not the playboy. As far as I know, he didn’t date during our senior year. He was always busy doing something baseball related, even during the offseason. Granted, all my time was spent with Tony, and I couldn’t pay that much attention.

“Why is he back in town?” Rylee asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

“I don’t know.” I was too busy throwing beer in his face to ask. “If I had to guess, it’s for his brother’s wedding. The same wedding I got an invite to.”

Her shoulders scrunch as her brows draw together. “You got an invite to your ex’s wedding? Who does that?”

I shrug. “You got me. Clearly, I can’t go. One: it’s my ex. Two: Garrett’s going to be there, and I’d rather not run into him any more than I already have.”

Her phone chimes with an incoming message. She glances down and rolls her eyes. “Jake wants to know if you’re coming to work today.”

I laugh. “I’m doing wonderful, Jake. Thanks for your concern.”

Her phone chimes again.

Another chuckle escapes my throat. “Put him out of his misery and tell him I’ll be in.”

She glances at the message. “Actually, it’s Trey.” She tilts her head as she reads. “He needs me to buy pink paint, popsicle sticks, baby carrots, glitter, and latex gloves.”

I nod along to her list. “That’s an interesting combination.”

“If I had to guess, the paint, glitter, and popsicle sticks are for some artsy thing with the girls. The latex gloves will be for his hands, so his dick doesn't sparkle like a princess wand like last time.”

“That’s a visual I didn't need today.”

“Trust me, I didn’t need to see it either, but he insisted on showing me. It was every bit as hilarious as you would expect.” She smiles fondly at the thought of Trey. On the outside they seem like an unlikely pair, but they bring out the best in each other. And my best friend deserves all the happiness after dealing with her ex.

“And the baby carrots?”

She huffs. “He’ll want a snack. I wanted to stop by and make sure you’re okay, but I better get going. I have to make sure the house doesn’t turn into a real-life glitter bomb.”

“Or he’s turning your house into an actual princess castle.” I shrug. Trey’s the father of two girls. One is Rylee’s that he adopted, but he treats her as if she’s his own. Of course, he treats them both like the princesses they are, and Rylee is their queen.

“Alright. We’ll chat later. If anything new regarding Garrett comes up, you have to tell me.”

“You'll be waiting a while since I’m avoiding him at all costs.”

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