Page 5 of Devanté
“Which means you must love me because you’re never mean to me.”
“Ugh, I guess. I’ll love you even more if you can butter Gabi up.”
“I got you, Blake,” I chuckled.
I spent another hour sitting with her and assuring her that the dinner with her mother wouldn’t be a disaster just because I wouldn’t be there. She told me she’d Facetime me after everything was over while she drowned her sorrows in a bowl of ice cream. I tried to invite her to the game one more time but she declined.
“All that social stuff is for you. You can have it.”
“How am I gonna talk you up to Gabi if you never show face?”
“You have a point,” she mused. “I’ll think about it after I’m done with Mom.”
“Consider it, that’s all I ask. Being friendly never hurt anyone.”
“Being friendly never hurt you, Jodeci.” I never got tired of the nickname she gave me when we were kids. “I’m a completely different story.” The jaded look in her topaz pools made me ache for a different experience for my best friend. I hated how people always talked shit about her or made snide remarks. I’d do anything in the world to shield her from it all but I knew I had to let her have those experiences because I couldn’t stop them. Ultimately, they made Blake the badass she was and I wouldn’t trade her for the fucking world.
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