Page 93 of Summer Breakdown
Jasmine raises her eyebrows, and Frankie groans. “I’ve been waiting to regret it, but I don’t. Maybe tomorrow when the papers come out. I dunno.”
“Last week, they ran a front-page story about a bigfoot sighting. I wouldn’t care what they think.”
Frankie laughs, and she feels better for it. If Jasmine doesn’t have the kids tonight, she might want to come over. Frankie tries to remember if her place is clean. She hates it there, though. Jasmine has asked her to spend the night at her place for the past few nights, and Frankie wants to stay again. Maybe—if she was honest—she might want to stay forever.
“Why aren’t you at home?” Jasmine asks.
Frankie sighs. “When did you move out of your parents’ place?”
Jasmine’s eyes widen, and she chews on her cheek. “Er, when I was seventeen.”
“Jeez. With Marc? You’re, like, superwoman or something,” Frankie replies. “Were you lonely?”
“I lived with Mike.”
“Oh.” Jealousy roars in Frankie’s chest, and it’s stupid because Jasmine didn’t even like Mike. She was miserable, and Frankie never wanted her to be that. She just wants to be the one that has lived with her.
“But yes, I was lonely.” God, she hates that man so badly. She never wants Jasmine to be lonely.
Frankie frowns. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. It was ages ago. I wasn’t lonely once Marcel figured out how to talk. Are you?”
“I think so,” she replies. “I only just moved out, and I wasn’t expecting it. I knew living alone meant, you know, being alone. I just don’t think I knew how many hours of the day that is.”
“Is that why you’re still here?” Jasmine asks.
“Yeah,” Frankie replies, with a huff. This is probably the most honest she’s been with someone aside from her therapist in a while. She talks to Ezra, but only if she has to, not because she wants to. They’ve had enough deep talks to last her a lifetime.
“If I’m at work, it’s alright. Everyone gets bored at work. Being in the office when everyone else is home makes sense when you feel lonely. No one else is supposed to be here anyway. I dunno. At home, it’s like someone could be there, but they aren’t.”
“Do you ask anyone to be?” Jasmine asks.
Frankie screws up her nose. “I’m not particularly good at that. I don’t know how to ask for things. I’ve been working up the courage to ask you to come over ever since you knocked on the door.”
Jasmine smiles brightly. She has a Regina Hall kind of smile, and Frankie’s not sure how she’s supposed to keep any thought in her mind when she looks directly at her.
“I have the kids.”
Frankie looks past her. “Why hasn’t Lani said hi?” It’s a little embarrassing how sad she is about it. Lani is a four-year-old child, but she likes Frankie. Marcel might wave, but she wouldn’t be shocked if he didn’t come into her office.
Jasmine laughs lightly. “She’s at home. Marcel is watching her for an hour.” Jasmine hates asking Marcel to watch Lani, even if everyone in the world knows he would never mind. She must be going somewhere important. Frankie tries not to frown.
“Oh,” Frankie replies. Her heart sinks, even if she threw it a buoyancy aid. “Where are you going?”
“Here. I thought you might still be here, and that if I texted you to come over, you’d overthink it because you came over last night.”
Frankie groans, reverting to the place she was before Jasmine got here. With her forehead on the table, she mutters, “I love how well you know me, but it makes me sound like a loser.”
Jasmine giggles, a sound that makes Frankie look at her again. “You’re not a loser. I’m just obsessed with you. Youknow my whole personality is making sure you’re okay, right?”
Frankie blinks wildly. She wants Jasmine to come closer, or for there to be any reason for her to stand up other than she wants to hug her.
“Do you want something now?” Jasmine asks.
Frankie takes a deep breath. “Like what?”
Jasmine shrugs and walks into the office. She closes the door. “Company. Someone to say you made the right call earlier.”
