Page 72 of Vitamin Sea
She had sobbed, and hoped, and dreamed that one day he would change his mind and come back to her. That day had come, and it had been followed by many more. But it hadn’t turned out the way she had anticipated. It turned out, when she really thought about it, she didn’t want Liam anymore. She didn’t trust him, and she looked at their relationship through a new lens.
Life was funny that way, she reflected. Sometimes you want something so badly only to realize later on that it wasn’t actually for you.
It was only a little over two months since she had returned from her life-changing trip to Costa Rica, and just as long as she had known Jack. But despite the short time they had known each other, Chloe really felt herself falling for him. She wasn’t naïve enough to think it was happily ever after for the two of them. She knew there would come a point where things about him would annoy her and the other way around. If they even made it to that point. But she was feeling optimistic. The opportunity to try and make a relationship work with Jack—a man who not only seemed to like her, all of her, but who also made her feel like she was special—was something she didn’t want to pass up.
Jack worked just as many long hours as Liam did but somehow always found time for her.
She made up her mind. She had been open with Jack and he had backed off, saying he didn’t want to sway her one way or another. But she hadn’t let him. “I wantyou,” she had said to him firmly. Jack had smiled, but she didn’t think he entirely believed it.
Shedidn’t know if she entirely believed it at first, but she was sure of it now. She had made up her mind and closed the door on a future with Liam.
And a good thing too. Only two days later, Lala had called her up to see if she could come over. It was early evening on a Monday and Chloe had just changed into her comfy clothes.
“Totally,” she told her friend. “I’ll make dinner.”
“Why don’t I bring dinner over?” Lala suggested.
Chloe had gotten out a bottle of pinot noir and two glasses. Twenty minutes later, Lala was on her doorstep with Thai.
“Hi!” Chloe enthused, grabbing the heavy brown bag from her friend. “Do you want some wine? I opened a red.”
“Yes,” Lala said emphatically. “I actually think you’re going to need it.”
Chloe blanched for a second.
“What,” she said cautiously. It wasn’t so much a question. She was almost afraid to ask.
“Pour me a glass, I’ll take out the food. We can dish up and then we’ll talk.”
“Lala, you’re scaring me.” Chloe wasn’t being dramatic. There was a pit starting to form in her stomach.
She hoped it wasn’t something about Jack.
The throaty glug of wine being poured into Lala’s glass and then topping off Chloe’s was intermixed with the sound of containers being opened and cutlery and plates being pulled out of their respective places in the kitchen. She handed Lala a giant glass of wine and Lala clinked her glass against Chloe’s.
“Cheers, Chlo.”
Chloe hesitated. She had a feeling that whatever Lala was about to tell her wasn’t something she wanted to toast to.
Lala took a drink and set her glass down on the counter with a heavy thunk.
Chloe took a deep breath.
“Lala—what the hell is going on?”
Lala pursed her lips and then took another drink of wine.
“Sit down.” The redhead gathered up the Thai containers and brought them to the dining room table before going back for the plates and utensils.
Chloe did as she was told, and Lala soon joined her. The aroma of steaming hot Thai noodles, rice, and chicken wafted through the air as Chloe stared at her friend.
Finally, she couldn’t take it any longer.
“Lala—what the hell?”
Lala bit her lip.
“I found her Instagram,” she said after a moment.
