Page 115 of June

“I didn’t sleep with Jill.”

“I know. But you liked her and wanted to see.”

“I guess so, yes,” Enid said. “It’s confusing when you like hanging out with another woman, but you’re not sure if you like her as a friend or more. I was pretty lonely when I asked Jill out, but I do like her as a person. I just also really liked you, so that wasn’t helping the confusion.”

“I didn’t have anyone other than Jodie to like, and when we did that, it felt good physically but also like that was the only time I’d do that with her. We joked about doing it again after, but neither of us went through with it. Then, I met you, and I guess she started to like Viv. That just all makes sense to me, you know?” Caroline turned to Enid and looked down at their joined hands. “Thismakes sense to me. Jodie and I as friends and roommates makes sense to me. Oddly enough, her with Viv also makes sense to me. I hope you end up getting a one-bedroom so that we can have most of our nights there because even with my own room, if Jodie and Viv are dating, they’ll be around a lot. Viv isn’t exactly into the nightlife. I guess they can stay in her dorm room, but that’s just a room without a kitchen and has a shared bathroom.” Caroline shook her head and added, “I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s go hang out with your friends. I’ll try to keep in mind that none of them are judging me for not having my life together this time.”

Enid leaned in and kissed her sweetly.

“If anyone picks on you, they’ll have to answer to me.”

Caroline smiled, but she took in Enid’s smile, too, and it looked forced. Caroline wasn’t sure what was going on, but something was different about Enid tonight. She knew Enid hadher group meeting and then had to go to work for a few hours with Melinda. Maybe something had happened there because Enid had been relatively quiet since picking her up at the dorm and hadn’t even asked Caroline about her day, which wasn’t like her. Caroline tried not to think about it too hard as Enid pulled them into Candace’s bar.

She had been assured that the whole group wouldn’t be there tonight. Melinda and Kyle were at a double-date dinner. Monica and Bridgette were hanging out with Aaron, Monica’s stepson. Linden and Asher wouldn’t be there, either, doing their own thing, and Logan wasn’t working that night, so she and Rory were on a date somewhere. That left Jill, Sophie, and Sophie’s girlfriend, Bryce.

Caroline felt like she could handle Jill, who had been nice to her before, and she’d liked Sophie enough the first time they had all gone out. Bryce was new to her, but maybe they could make the night about her being in town, and Caroline wouldn’t have to answer a bunch of questions she had no answers to.

“So, are you going to do it?” Jill asked Enid the moment she saw them walking toward the table. “Hey, Caroline.”

“Hey,” Caroline said. “And do what?” she asked Enid.

“Take the job.”

“What job?” Caroline asked.

“It’s nothing,” Enid replied. “Melinda was just offering more hours today. I already agreed.”

Jill gave Enid a look that told Caroline that Enid wasn’t telling the whole truth.

“You remember Sophie,” Enid said, motioning toward Sophie in the booth.

“Hi, Caroline. This is my girlfriend, Bryce,” Sophie said with a wide smile on her face.

“Nice to meet you,” Caroline said and sat down next to Enid, who had taken a seat beside Jill already.

“You too,” Bryce replied. “So, you’re Enid’s new girlfriend.”

“I am,” Caroline said just as Enid’s arm moved over the back of her chair.

“I thought we were doing dinner andthendrinks,” Enid noted. “Why did we meet here?”

“Because Candace has food and gives us a discount,” Jill replied. “And I love the burgers here.”

“I haven’t had one yet,” Bryce said as she wrapped her arm around Sophie’s shoulders.

“We had a late lunch, so I’m not that hungry right now. Want to split one?” Sophie asked Bryce.

“And get an appetizer or something, too?”

Sophie nodded.

“What do you want?” Enid asked Caroline.

“Um… Whatever,” Caroline replied. “I’m not all that hungry, either.”

“You said you were starving when I picked you up,” Enid noted.

Caroline only shrugged in response, so Enid gave her a confused expression before she turned toward the rest of the group, who were in conversation about Bryce’s script.

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