Page 47 of Last First Love
"What an asshole," Delilah grumbles. "Why on earth would he think he gets to make a decision like that? You'd already made your choice and he needed to hear you."
I shake my head, feeling the itchiness of my face and the sticky, hot shame crawling all over my skin. "He did need to hear me, but he's the kind of guy who thinks he always knows best."
I hiccup-sigh again, trying to control my emotions enough to stop blubbering at least. "I don't think he did this out of meanness. I think he did it because he wanted me to see that I was wrong, that it wouldn't be that big of a deal if we got together after all."
Darcy lets out a few choice swears that have Angela crossing herself again.
Delilah uncrosses her arms and looks at me. "I told you before and I meant it. Whatever happens next is completely up to you."
I take a shaky breath and then another, then dab at my face with a wad of napkins that K.T. hands me. "I think I'm going to take a vacation."
All the girls give me a look, that same laid-an-egg look, but this time tinged with something else.
Darcy takes my hand in hers. "Lily, are you having some kind of a nervous breakdown? Are you okay?"
I take another breath. This is definitely the right move. "Yeah, I'm going to be fine." I wipe at my face again. "I didn't want the people of Valentine sitting around and judging me for whatever I chose to do with Daniels, and he essentially took that decision out of my hands."
I shake my head, hair flying around. "I'm going to rewrite this story. I'm not going home to mope or hide, and I'm sure as hell not going to stay here in town where everyone I've ever met now knows the latest updates about my sex life." I scrunch my chair back and really let the idea take form for me.
"I've always dreamed of doing more high end fashion related photography. I've even queried a couple of agencies in New York City. How about I take a few weeks off and go see what I can make happen? By the time I get back, everyone will have moved on to a new topic of local scandal."
Darcy hugs me, and it feels really good to be hugged right now. "You're coming back for the wedding though, right?"
I finally manage to eke out a smile for her. "I wouldn't miss it. I love weddings."
She sighs. "I'm really sorry I had to be the one to tell you, Lily. For a little while there, I'd thought...."
Her voice trails off and she doesn't finish the sentence, but I nod at her. "Yeah, me too."
I clear my throat. "Okay, let's not kill Daniels and instead, let's have a celebratory drink about my very impromptu trip to New York."
Delilah gives me a big smile. "I'll drink to that. I was a big city girl for years, you know."
I raise my eyebrows at her. "What happened?"
K.T. cackles. "Aunt Opal happened. That's what."
I glance from K.T. to Delilah. "I don't get it."
Delilah gives a tiny, apologetic laugh. "Aunt Opal is my real life great aunt Opal. She's the only family I'm close to, and she basically faked her own terminal illness in order to get me to come back to Valentine."
I blink once, twice. "But then you stayed. Oh wait, you're Joe's wife."
At that, Delilah's entire face lights up. Oh man, I'm completely drowning in a sea of women in love. I look over at Angela, my last remaining lifeline. "And you?"
She curls in on herself a little bit. "I'm with Clay."
"Oh. Well then." I give Darcy a little nudge with my shoulder. "You didn't tell me one of the rules of Girl Club was we had to be in a serious relationship with some piece of Valentine man candy."
Darcy wriggles in her seat and starts fiddling with her nails again. "That's not a rule. The first rule is we don't talk about Girl Club."
K.T. snorts. "The second rule is we get drinks together. Let me see what I can drag out of the back to celebrate Lily's imminent vacation adventure."
"Yay," I say, and it almost sounds sincere. But the look in the four women's eyes around me tell me quite plainly that I'm not selling it well enough to fool any of them.
I clear my throat and think about trying again, but I can't quite get it right tonight. Not until I'm at home, rescheduling clients and buying an airplane ticket, packing my suitcase and calling my mother.
Then, I finally allow a little tiny tendril of excitement to break through the thick layer of numbness that's settled over me. Ken Daniels may have guaranteed that everyone in Valentine knows all of our business, but I don't have to play the game his way.
