Page 6 of Basil

“Summer is pissed with me.” I closed my eyes.

“You two fight a lot,” Ajay noted. “What was it this time?”

“I told Drew about making COO and?—”

“Yeah to Drew,” Karen cheered holding her glass up.

I loved how supportive my friends were—how they celebrated each other’s wins.

“Is she upset that you promoted me?” Drew asked, her eyes narrowing.

She had been my best friend ever since that first day we met on campus. Most women I dated seemed to have a problem with me having a female friend, but Summer did not,initially. Eventually, she also became an insecure cliché.

“No.” I huffed out a breath. “She was upset that you kissed me.”

Drew shrugged. “But we hug and kiss all the time.”

“She was upset you kissed me on the mouth,” I explained.

Silence fell, and I looked around.

“It was a peck,” Drew exclaimed. “Stop staring at me like I’m some Jezebel.”

“You can kiss me anytime, doll.” Gareth laughed.

“She knows you’re friends.” Felix leaned back in his armchair. “You and Drew have never had a sexual relationship so I don’t know what Summer’s problem is.”

“Her problem is that she’s insecure,” Drew snapped.

I knew Drew didn’t like Summer—felt that my girlfriend was toocontrollingof my time and me. I didn’t see it that way. I spent a lot of my time with Summer because I wanted to. She liked to cook and since she was a vegetarian, sometimes it was easier to eat at home than go out—and I had zero complaints because the food she cooked was Michelin quality.

“So…have you broken up now?” Gareth mused.

I ran a hand through my hair. “I think so. She packed up and left.”

“She does thisallthe time.” Drew was incensed on my behalf. Why couldn’t Summer see how much Drew cared about me? “I don’t know how you stand it.”

I scoffed. “I love her! I thought she loved me.”

Gareth let out a bark of laughter. “I was just talking to her, and she told me to go fuck myself.”

“How rude!” Karen muttered. “You need to talk to your girlfriend, Basil, to be nicer to your friends. We don’t want to lose you because ofher.”

“You’ll never lose me,” I promised. “And Summer...I don’t know what to do.”

“Why not just let her go?” Ajay asked.

I stared at him. What did he mean? Let my Summer go? But I loved her. Sure, we fought, but I loved her. I didn’t want a life where she wasn’t there. Did I?

“Ajay’s right.” Felix shook his head, but there was no sympathy in his expression. “Hate to say it, man, but it was only a matter of time. She was never gonna make it long-term, not with that holier than thou attitude of hers.”

Drew made a noise of agreement. “I mean, she runs a little candle shop, Basil. Cute, sure, but it’s not exactly a business. And she spends more time judging us than actually trying to fit in.”

I clenched my jaw, but I didn’t argue. Because wasn’t that what Summer had been doing?Judging! Making me out to be some kind of asshole because my friends weren’t the granola-crunching, incense-burning type.

I drank another shot of bourbon. “She told me that you all are toxic.”

Drew’s laughter was sharp. “Of course she did. Because we have ambition? Because we work hard and expect the same from others?” She shook her head. “You’ve done enough for her, Basil. You gave her a life most people dream about. Access to this beautiful apartment, vacations, connections that could actually help her if she wanted to grow her little hobby into something real.” She took a sip of her wine, gaze assessing. “But she never appreciated any of it, did she?”

---