Page 95 of Eye of the Hurricane
“The girls will be here at five, Luna’s orders. Rumor has it your best friend is a little bossy,” he laughs. Luna can definitely come across as bossy sometimes. It’s really more of a getting the ball rolling thing. She’s pretty easygoing.
“Thank you.”
“It’s no big deal.”
“Are you going to stay?” I ask, hoping he has plans to crash girl’s night.
“No. I’m under strict orders not to. Ravyn says that girltime is sacred and I would throw off—and I quote—‘the cosmic balance of girlhood’, whatever the fuck that means.” I laugh.
“She also insisted you might want to talk to them about me,” he says, pointing to his face.
“I never really had those kinds of friendships until I moved here and met Luna. Even then it was just us and I was so focused on school and work that we never really had designated girl’s nights.” As soon as I say it out loud I realize how sad it sounds.
“I’m sure they would love to teach you about the sanctity of girlhood,” he says with a laugh.
“I brought wine but Kat,I can’t afford your rich girl wine so this will have to do,” Luna says placing two bottles of cheap red wine on the counter. I laugh.
“For some reason, after the day I had, cheap wine sounds better.”
“That bad, huh?” She doesn’t know the half.
Ravyn and Audra walk in with plastic bags. When they get to the kitchen they sit their bags on the counter and start pulling things out.
“Face masks, nail polish, shitty gas station snacks,” Ravyn lists off as she pulls things from her bag.
“Candy, cheese tray, red wine,” Audra adds as she unpacks hers.
“This is my first girl’s night, is that weird?”
“Maybe a little, but we’re glad to have you now,” Audra answers.
“I’m really happy to have you guys. I never really had friends back home in Louisiana and once I was here, it’s just been Luna and I. Until I met Ares and he introduced me to you guys. I never really imagined having a group of girlfriends but I love it.”
“I’m also thankful for getting roped in by being friends of friends,” Luna says with a laugh.
“Cheese tray and wine first please,” I announce, pulling glasses from the cabinet. We all stand around, sipping our wine and picking at the cheese tray.
“Okay, we’ve got cheese and wine in us. Time to spill it, Kat,” Luna says, stuffing a cracker into her mouth.
So I tell them every little detail. Going all the way back to when I still lived at home and the way I was treated then, to the phone call with my mom that made me and Ares decide to fake a relationship, all the way to this afternoon.
I don’t leave out a single detail, a single reaction, or a single feeling. It feels like I’ve cracked myself wide open in the best way. It’s more than a single weight off of my shoulders, it’s a million.
“I can’t believe he stood up to your mom like that,” Luna says, throwing back her last sip of wine. “Honestly, that’s so sexy.”
“We raised him so well,” Audra says and Ravyn agrees.
“I couldn’t believe it. Everyone is so afraid of my mom.I’mso afraid of her normally.”
“But you stood up for him too!” Luna adds.
“Does this mean that someone’s fake relationship is a little bit real?” Ravyn asks.
“I’ve read so many books like that,” Luna adds.
“I think that it means the care I have for him is real. It doesn’t change that I don’t have time for him right now. I can’t put my all into anything until I get this job.”
“That’s understandable. Does he know how you feel?” Audra asks.
