Page 39 of Reconciling With the Rival

Hads and I look at one another, the silence all too deafening as we sit. Both of us know Amelia isn't going to answer, but neither of us wants to burst Paige’s bubble.

“She’s not coming back, is she?” Hads says under her breath.

“I don't know.” I really don’t. Normally, it takes Ames about a week to answer us, but the longer it gets with her blowing us off all the time, the more I think she’s actually ghosting us from across the globe.

Paige pads back into the room, her eyes drooping. “Voicemail.”

“Leo and I have been having a prank war at work for the last week.”

Paige’s eyes light up, and when she looks at me from her floor, I know she wants to know more.

“You guys have been doing what for a week?” Hads asks as I shift the topic off of our friend and onto a better one. Well, better for them, not me, but I’ll do anything to get the vibe in here back up. Plus, I’m done talking about someone who clearly doesn't want to talk to me. I’ve put in effort. I’ve tried calling, and if the unanswered messages have taught me one thing, it’s that I'm not going to beg someone to be my friend—even if I thought the four of us were forever.

“A prank war.”

“Oh, I need more details right now.” Paige smiles at me.

“I kind of started it, but only because this fucker and I are competing. I wanted to lessen the stress we’re both under. He’s always tense and brooding across from me in his office, and his mood was dampening mine.” That’s only partly true. If fucking with Leo Zimmerman was a full-time job, I’d sign up immediately. It’s way too fun watching him get pissed off.

“I forgot you guys are competing for the contract,” Hads says. “So, how did you start it?”

“I put sticky notes up all around his office. I coveredeverything. It was funny and harmless, but he got pissed. The next morning, I came in, and my office was gift wrapped.”

“Wait, your entire office?”

“Yes, P. He wrapped every little thing, including my staple remover.” And the worst part was, it looked gorgeous. I might hate Leo, but I can appreciate his gift-wrapping, from one pro to another—even if it pissed me off.

Again, another thing the fucker doesn't have to work for or practice at. He’s just good at it.

“Damn.”

“Then, I changed his Microsoft Word to be British English rather than American English. Some of his reports were turned in with some spelling errors. And what did he do? He covered my entire office in glitter.”

“Was it red glitter, by chance?” Paige asks me.

“Please don’t tell me it's on this outfit too.” I thought I had finally gotten rid of it all.

“It’s on your left sleeve,” Hads tells me, and when I look down, I see it taunting me on my arm.

“Of course, it is.” I shake my sleeve. It’s not that I hate glitter, but how the fuck does it get into every crevice? He only smeared the loose glitter all over my work area, but somehow, I keep finding it in my closet.

“What did you do in retaliation for the glitter?” Hads asks me.

“I covered his office in googly eyes.”

Paige and Hads laugh, and I metaphorically pat myself on the back. Leo might think he bested me, but he has no idea how far I’m willing to go—well, to a certain extent. I’m not about to get fired from my job over a stupid prank war.

“So, what have you guys been up to?” I see these girls once a week, sometimes more, but it never really feels like enough. I hate the feeling I’m missing out on some piece of their life or worse, I hate missing the parts where they need me. Not being there for one of them if they’re going through something is quite literally my worst nightmare.

Honestly, the subject of me and Leo has taken over most conversations lately. The same thing happened before Hads and Grant were dating—book club became a weekly rant session about how much he annoyed her, and now, they’re dating.

The same thing happened with Paige and Oliver, though it was a bit more on the down low. Those two were attempting to solve a whole ass murder—which they did, so props to those psychos—but we always checked on Paige every week. And now, she and Oliver are dating, soon to be engaged. The fact that Leo and I are the main focus… I’m determined to break this pattern. Leo Zimmerman and I will never be anything more than coworkers.

“Oliver and I have started watching a new show! Other than that, nothing has been going on besides work. Same old, same old.”

“Grant recently came up with a plan for his birthday in October. He really wants to go to a trampoline park.” Hads sounds so unimpressed right now, but I know she loves that man. If he wants to go to a trampoline park for his birthday, she’ll make it happen. “He asked if we could get a small trampoline so he can start practicing his backflips.”

“Where are you going to fit a trampoline?” I ask, knowing their place could never fit one.

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