Page 82 of Built to Fall
“Liar.” She points at me.
“You paused,” Meredith says, helping her case. “That was a guilty pause, linguistically speaking.”
“It wasnotromantic. It was coffee and breakfast.”
“Which in your case is foreplay,” Kara jokes.
“Did he touch your hand when he gave you the mug?” Eden asks, hopeful. “Because I willscream!”
“Did he butter your toast for you?” Meredith banters before looking at Eden like she’s lost her mind.
“I’m sure he spread something,” Kara jokes sarcastically, making Eden and Meredith both burst out laughing, even though they all know Grant and I did nothing like what Kara’s sexual innuendo suggests.
“There’s something seriously wrong with you guys.” I laugh, shaking my head.
“We’re invested!” Eden argues.
“We care deeply about your mental health and love life.” Kara pauses. “In that order.”
“Love life?” The disbelief bursts from my mouth. “Grant has nothing to do with my love life.”
Kara pushes a plate of pancakes in front of me. Then a fork. Then a bottle of syrup. “Maybe not yet…”
“Notever,” I amend, stabbing the pancake with the fork and ripping off a piece. “Speaking of love lives…” I look toward Kara. “What’s going on with you and Jack? He hasn’t been here in a while.”
She looks up from her own plate, hopping to sit on the counter next to the fridge. “We broke up.”
It’s the way she says it, as if it means nothing, that has me confused.
“What?” Meredith, Eden, and I all say in unison.
“It just wasn’t working anymore.” She takes another bite before setting her plate down on her lap.
“Define ‘wasn’t working,’”Meredith says, leaning against the counter right next to her.
Eden is clearly trying to keep herself occupied with her scones, but it’s not working for her. Her teeth are continuously sinking into her lip like she’s trying not to ask the question on all of our minds.
Kara lets the silence hang for a moment before sighing. “It was nothing too serious, honestly. I think he was getting annoyed with the way I’m living.”
“What does that mean?” I ask, even though I already have an idea. We all do.
“He wanted me to slow down. I didn’t.” She says it casually, like it’s a weather report.
“You’ve always partied,” Meredith says. “It never seemed to bother him before.”
Kara shifts slightly on the counter, eyes flicking to the window in the living room before she answers. “Not like this.”
There’s a pause. Everyone in the room is collectively holding their breath.
“Kara…” Eden says softly, the edge of her voice fraying a bit.
“It’s not a big deal.” Kara’s voice hardens slightly, as if she’s trying to shut the door before we even reach it. “I got bored of college bars and warm beer. Jack didn’t like the new scene.”
“What scene?” I ask slowly.
She doesn’t look at me when she says, “You know. Rooftop things, industry parties, friends of friends who know promoters. Those kinds of things.”
I do know. And I can guess what kind of‘refreshments’are passed around in back rooms of those kinds of parties.
