Page 75 of One Last Run

“I have to make a salad,” Danica said, feeling like it was a stupid excuse even as the words left her mouth.

Kiera silently shifted her weight from foot to foot.

"How are your radish slicing skills?" Danica asked. She was not ready to be the first to say she was sorry. Not this time.

"I'd say above average," Kiera said, her eyes darting past her and into her condo.

"Want to help me get this salad ready?" Danica asked, and as Kiera nodded, Danica waved her in.

Five minutes later, the only sounds in the kitchen were the rhythmic chopping of the knife against the cutting board as Kiera cut vegetables, and the faucet as Danica rinsed the lettuce in the salad spinner. Danica was waiting for Kiera to apologize, or to explain, to sayanything, but Kiera just stared down at the small red root vegetables on the cutting board.

Danica pumped the salad spinner, the bowl humming as it spun the water from the lettuce, then slowed to a stop. She glanced back toward Kiera, but Kiera was still dutifully slicing radishes.

Finally, Kiera finished, opening cupboards to find a bowl to put the sliced radishes in. She opened four cupboards before finding where Danica kept her bowls, and Danica just leaned against the counter watching, without chiming in to help.

Kiera turned, finally, and furrowed her brow slightly. "What else do you need to prepare?"

"You don't even like radishes," Danica said, setting the salad spinner down a little too loudly on her granite countertop.

"I eat salads," Kiera said defensively.

Danica couldn't stand it anymore. She was going to have to be the first to bring it up. "Why?"

Kiera angled her head. "Why do I... eat salads?"

"Why did you tell Eddie to come to Telluride like I needed saving? Like I didn’t deserve a say in my own relationship?" Danica asked, not falling for Kiera’s attempt to disarm her.

"Something important happened in your life, and I didn't know. And because you didn't tell me, I thought you were cheating on your fiancé." Kiera shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "I was pissed off, and freaked out, and confused, and betrayed."

Danica blinked back tears. "I didn't lie to you to hurt you. You invited Eddie to hurt me."

"I'm so sorry for that. I wasn't trying to hurt you." Kiera turned, leaning back against the counter. "I was genuinely worried about you. I thought you were doing to Eddie what Alex had done to me, and I knew what it felt like to be on the other side of it, and it wasn't fair to Eddie. And then you told me you'd broken up after I messaged him, but I still thought that maybe if you and Eddie could work out... Maybe so could Alex and I... I don't know." She reached under her glasses to wipe her eyes.

Danica sagged against the counter. "Well, I'm genuinely worried about you, too. Alex is having an affair and you're?—"

"We're getting a divorce. Alex and I." The confession came fast, like a dam had broken inside of Kiera. Her voice shook as she continued, "I'm divorcing Alex. I served him papers about a week after getting home from Telluride.”

Danica gaped at Kiera, and upon noticing that her chin was wobbling in an effort not to cry, she stepped forward and wrapped Kiera in a hug. What was she supposed to say to that? That she was proud of her friend? That she was sorry? Neither felt exactly right.

"I fucked up," Kiera said, sniffling into Danica's shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I'm so embarrassed that I thought I knew better than you did about your own relationship."

Danica just held Kiera tighter. "I fucked up, too. I made a mistake by not telling you, causing you to think I was cheating on Eddie. I don't know why I did that to you."

"I was so mad at you." Kiera's voice cracked into a whisper.

"Same." Danica confessed, her voice muffled in Kiera's sweatshirt.

Kiera let out a shaky laugh. "I was mad that you didn't just tell me. You can tell me anything, and you kept it from me. That makes no sense, you dummy. And I was jealous that you were happy when I wasn’t, if we're being honest, and feeling a little betrayed that you were having fun with Pete again after how many years it took for you to get over her."

Danica pulled back, wiping at the tears welling in her own eyes. "I know. I thought Pete and I were just having fun, and that I had it all under control, and I just... I got scared. Being there didn't feel real, you know? I could just have fun and focus on the present. I could pretend like my real life didn't exist, and that Pete and I could exist in some vacuum where I could come home after and not feel..." She paused, struggling to find the right words. "Heartbroken all over again. But you were right. Pete andI don't work in real life, and I should have guarded my feelings better."

Kiera pulled off her glasses, cleaning the fogged-up lenses on her sweatshirt. Her face was still blotchy, but now she had a slight grin on her face. "Yeah, about that."

"About what?" Danica asked suspiciously. She turned toward the wine rack and pointing with her eyebrows raised in question. Kiera nodded, and Danica pulled out two glasses and a bottle of a red blend.

Kiera moved around the kitchen island to sit on one of the stools. "I've been talking to Izzy about you and?—"

Danica paused mid-step, staring at Kiera in disbelief. "You've been talking to Izzy?"

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