Page 20 of More Trouble
6
Willa
Welcome to Cali Cross.
Four words that shook me to my very core. I drove along the familiar streets, expecting to feel a sense of home. But I felt nothing.
Little had changed since the last time I’d been back. I’m not sure what I was expecting. A huge Walmart to have sprung up on the outskirts of town maybe, or an out of town shopping mall?
The sun had risen by the time I reached Scarlett and Wes’ apartment.
Ugh.
Scarlett’sapartment.
This was going to be hard.
For so many years their lives had been joined together. I’d never expected it to be any different for them. I couldn’t even imagine what that would be like.
I’d never lived with a guy, not even as a roommate.
I’d only had sex with all of three guys my whole life, mostly because I couldn’t get over the first one.
Andre Cash.
It was inevitable that I’d see him, and I couldn’t work out quite how to feel.
First and foremost though, I was here for my best friend and everything else could be damned.
I switched the engine off and sighed, staring up at her window. She was having Wes’ baby. Was it any kind of comfort to her right now though?
Summoning up all my strength, I grabbed my purse and my bag and headed to the door. Scarlett must’ve been awake and watching out for me because the door flew open and she rushed into my arms with such a force that she almost knocked me over.
“Willa, thank God you’re here. I’m so glad you came,” she cried.
I stroked her hair as she sobbed into my shoulder. “Of course, I did. Where else would I be?”
“Willa.”
It took one word for me to know exactly who else was there.
I stared past Scarlett and met Andre’s gaze. He had dark circles under his eyes, a haunted expression clouding his handsome features. I guessed the past few hours had taken their toll on him as well. My knees trembled and I almost fell to the floor myself. Now wasn’t the time to crumble in front of Scarlett. She needed me to be strong for her.
“Hi. How are you?” It was the first thing I’d said to him in years.
He nodded slowly, not speaking.
“Come on, let’s get you inside,” I said to Scarlett, helping her back into the apartment. Andre reached out and his fingers brushed my arm. He did it as if touching me was the most natural thing in the world.
Once it had been, but that was long ago.
Long, long ago.
I shook away the feelings that threatened to overwhelm me. I’d process them later.
We went inside to the living room. On one of the couches, snuggled together and holding hands were Maddox and Lyla. My eyebrows shot up. Since when had they become a couple? I glanced over at Andre and he shrugged, mouthing the words ‘not now’ to me.
Lyla jumped up and raced over to hug me, almost pushing poor Scarlett out of the way. “Willa, you came.”
