Page 103 of Always Been Yours

Arielle

We promised to stay friends but you refuse to talk to me. Come on Grady

I’m not. I’ve been busy and I’m trying to start my life in here. Of course that’ll always include you, because of the girls, but how that looks in MY life is different. It’s normal, Arielle.

I don’t know if I like that

It’s the way itis.

Vivi

“Sooo,” Calypso starts, pausing to make sure the store is empty after Grady and his family left, “how are things with him?”

I look up from my phone, about to immediately text him like a lovesick fool.

Obviously,we aren’t doing a good job of hiding things—I don’t know if I even want to anymore.

“Um.” I don’t really know where to start.

“You don’t have to tell me anything,” Lyp resigns, a flash of hurt in her eyes. “But if you wanted to talk to me about it, you could. I won’t say anything.”

Guilt washes over me. Calypso and I havealwaysbeen close. She, Lexi and I are a trio by now, especially since her childhood best friend moved away a few years ago. They hardly talk and it only makes me feel worse for hiding things from her but… “It isn’t that I don’t want to talk to you about it and I know that we have talked about,” I whisper, “sex,” then speak normally, “before, but this is aboutGrady.Is that okay?”

Calypso looks really confused for a second before snickering at my modesty, Lexi joining in. Calypso is as comfortable with the topic of sex, and almost as open about her own life, as Lexi.

“Shut up, I don’t care. I mean… honestly… I’ve just kind of wondered if Grady has a big dick or not,” she laughs but doesn’t bat an eye at her own brazen curiosity.

“Wait,” Lexi leans forward pointing at Calypso across the counter. “She can ask if Grady has a big dick, but I can’t call him Daddy?”

“Ew, no,” I laugh. “That’s whatDaisycalls him. You can’t call him thatever,got it?”

“I’m asking as an older sister, Lexi.” She gives her a fake scolding look. With a small tilt of her lips, her eyes cut to me, and she says, “I have to make sure my baby sister is getting dicked down good, right?”

I cackle and push past my embarrassment, saying, “You don’t have to worry about that, okay? He’s… more than enough to keep me happy. I promise.” I widen my eyes in emphasis.

Lexi and Calypso fake whoop and high-five.

“You’re so embarrassing,stop.“ I cover my face.

They settle down and Calypso gives me a genuine look. “This just feels right, you know? I’m happy for you, Viv, and I want you to let me be a part of your happiness. “

I nod at her. In between trick-or-treaters, I tell her all about mine and Grady’s time together. Starting all the way back to our first meeting in his classroom. She listens the entire time, smiling in an encouraging way.

“It may have taken him a while to develop it, but that man has big dick energy, and I love that for you.” Calypso nods in approval.

Laughing, I finally decide to bite the bullet and ask Calypso the question that has been burning my tongue for a while. “Lyp? Not to sound like an asshole or anything, but why are you so nice to Stella and Daisy?”

Lexi barks out a laugh and Calypso does too after a second. “Excuse me?” She looks between us. “Do I typically go around stealing candy from babies and kicking children?”

Snickering, I shake my head. “You just don’t typically take an interest in kids, but you have with them. It’s sweet. It’s almost like… I don’t know…” I don’t want to say it because it sounds silly and presumptuous.

She gives me a soft, unfamiliar smile—nothing about Calypsocan really be described as soft. “It’s almost like maybe, possibly, I could be an aunt to those two little girls, right?” I nod, not saying anything. “I’m going to take an interest inyourkids. And Hudson’s. If Asher ever changes his mind, his kids too. And I guess I just figured that sometime in the future, I might be their father’s sister-in-law. Which would make me their aunt.“ She gives me a small shrug.

“Yeah, maybe,” I agree. And for the first time, I allow myself to share that hope with someone other than Grady.

Mon, Oct 31 at 10:04 PM

Grady

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