Page 65 of Heartless
“I don’t know how you all can be laughing right now.” She leaned her head on Andrea’s shoulder. “What if I never see you again?”
“Then we can remember the good times we had.” Andrea planted a kiss on her forehead. “However brief they may have been.”
“I’ve always laughed at the worst fuckin’ times.” Noelle helped herself to more whiskey from the coffee table. “Drove my moody-ass brothers nuts. Helps me deal with shit, I guess.”
“That’s really common, actually,” I told her. “Cracking jokes at seemingly-inappropriate situations is a widely-studied coping mechanism.”
“Alright, smart girl.” Andrea wadded up a cocktail napkin and threw it at me. “What else should I know about potentially ending or saving lives?”
“Do you know how to give CPR?” I asked.
“Sure do. I taught myself from a book actually, when my son was born.” Andrea’s face turned thoughtful, her hands stroking lightly over Tessa’s arms. “I should…I should see my kids one last time.”
None of us were about to tell her no, as she slid out from behind Tessa and headed for the main doors of the building. She had said goodbye to her children right before coming here, but the finality of the situation seemed to sink in as the time grew near.
“Poor Drea.” Noelle curled her feet underneath her. “It has to be so hard to do this.”
“I told her that,” Tessa said in a small voice. “She just said that was exactlywhyshe had to. And that it’s what Dallas would have done.”
“She’s being so brave,” I said, swirling myreposadoin my own glass. “I have to hand it to Big G too. He really stepped up.”
“Yeah,nowhe does,” Tessa scoffed. “Like I wasn’t feeling shredded up about this enough.”
“You still love him?” Noelle asked, never able to put a filter on that mouth.
“Not like I used to, but I still care about him.” Tessa cradled Vivian’s head against her shoulder. “He’s my kids’ father. There’s always gonna besomethingthere.”
“It is nice to see him take initiative instead of just tagging along on the rides,” Noelle relented. “Hopefully this is the start of him acting like a grown-up.”
“If he comes back,” Tessa mumbled.
“He will.” I reached over and squeezed her knee. “He’s stubborn as hell and built like a stone chimney. And he won’t miss out on being here for his kids.”
“What about your tall, dark, scary one?” Noelle turned to me, the alcohol making her extra chatty. “Scared for him?”
“He’ll get it done,” I answered, the tequila now jostling in my stomach.
“Not what I asked, sister.” Noelle nudged me with her foot.
“Of course I’m scared,” I sighed. “Why do you think I’m drinkin’ with you two bitches?”
A sharp peal of laughter burst out of Tessa first, waking up a fussy, distressed Vivian, while Noelle just stared at me agape.
“Aw, shit!” Tessa fanned her face. “I needed that laugh.”
“Someone’s feisty on that tequila.” Noelle chuckled. “I get it, sis. Sometimes cluckin’ around like hens is the best therapy for when our men are out there doing stupid shit.”
“Or women,” Tessa corrected as she shushed Vivian.
“Or women, yes.”
“It’s different now.” I rolled my glass between my palms, talking more to myself than either of them. “Back in Blakeworth…he wasn’t mine, then. Not officially.”
“Please tell me you’ve fucked him.” Noelle, of course.
“Aside from the first time?” I shook my head. “No.”
“What the shit!” Noelle flailed her arms and legs out dramatically, sliding from the armchair to the floor. “You had your whole romantic evening with him and didn’t get some scarred, giant dick? Why the fuck not?”
