Page 28 of As a Last Resort
“I had a familiar face on the charter over to the island today.”I gulped down half of my second beer.
Her eyes grew wide.“She didn’t.”
“Nope.Not her.”She was probably thinking of theVword.
“Thank God.I didn’t feel like burying a body today.”
“You remember Sam, right?From high school?”
She stilled.Then blinked.The name took her by surprise.“Ummm, ex-best-friend Sam?I’m-moving-to-New-York-and-will-never-speak-to-you-againSam?”She squinted her eyes at me.“Sounds vaguely familiar.”
“Yeah, so that one.She’s back.And apparently it’sSamanthanow.”
She took a shallow breath.“No way.”
“Yes, way.”
“She’s back.”She paused.A myriad of emotions flashed over her face at once.She hopped off the counter after a few moments of staring at me, bumped me out of the way of the fridge, and pulled out two more beers.“Like, forever?Or for the weekend?”
I’m not sure Lexi even knew what she wanted the answer to be.
“A couple weeks.Something for work.”
“Huh.”Lexi chewed on her bottom lip.“Tell me more.”
“I don’t have more.Between loading other people onto the boat and fishing feminine products out of the deep blue sea, I didn’t get much other than she’ll be here for a little while.”
“Did she grow another head?Is she losing her hair?”It was my turn to just stare at her.“What?Cities are gross.The smog, the city pollution.It all affects your body.At least that’s what I’ve heard.”
“Does she know you’re getting married?”I asked.I saw her flinch, but it was so subtle I would’ve missed it if I weren’t deliberately looking for it.
“I haven’t spoken to her since she up and left seven years ago.So, I’d go with a no on that one.”Lexi was good at covering up her feelings.Most of the time.“Are you going to, like, see her while she’s here?”
“No.Why would I see her?”She lifted her brow at my nonchalant attitude that clearly wasn’t playing nonchalantly.
“She was still hot, wasn’t she?”she teased.“You know, she used to draw hearts with your name in them.”
“That’s… unexpected.”
“We did it with the Hanson brothers and NSYNC too.Girls do that.It’s not weird.”
“Debatable.But no, I’m not going to see her.Why would I?She’s your friend.”
“Was, until she fell off the face of the earth…” Her voice trailed off.Not many things dimmed the ball of sunshine that was my little sister, but I could tell she didn’t know what to do with this bit of news.
I lowered my voice.“You can’t blame her for leaving.”Sam was Lexi’s best friend in high school.I knew she was hurt when Sam moved.
“I don’t blame her, not completely, but it doesn’t change the fact that she did.”
“Please don’t tell me you’ve held a grudge against her this entire time for what happened after graduation.”
“God no, not at all.I just think there could have been a way to keep our friendship, that’s all.I just didn’t think I was completely disposable like everyone else.”
“You are not disposable.”I lowered my head toward her so I was on her eye level, but I could see the hurt flicker across her eyes.I knew exactly what she was feeling.I recognized that look.
“Yeah, no, I know.It’s fine.”She shrugged it off and eyed me.“Is she hot though?”
“That’s completely irrelevant.”
