Page 23 of Just Friends Forever
“She won’t,” I say confidently. I don’t know how I know, but I do.
We continue our shopping spree in the refrigerated section, and I enjoy seeing how many of Troy’s staple foods haven’t changed—the same burritos and jalapeños filled with cream cheese he lived on in college.
“How’s your family, by the way?” I ask. The Sheppards have got to be one of the best families around. They’re fun and loyal and functional. In high school, Troy’s parents managed to walk that incredibly fine line between relatable and authoritative. They always made me feel welcome, just like Troy has.
“Crazy as ever,” he says. “Austin is out serenading the world of hipsters, apparently. I had started to think his fan base was all girls under the age of fifteen. Anyway, Siena’s married now. To Jack Allred, actually. Not sure if you’d heard that.”
“I did! Such a fun surprise.”
He grabs a massive container of cottage cheese. “Yeah, I wasn’t on board at first, but turns out, he’s all right.”
That’s a pretty high compliment from Troy. “And Tori?”
“She’s the same old same. None of them live too far, so maybe you’ll see them.”
“I’d love that,” I say genuinely as I catch someone walking purposefully toward us, her eyes shifting between Troy and me.
“Incoming at your 6 o’clock.” Apparently, I’ve embraced his political drama TV series lingo.
Troy turns, and recognition lights up his gaze. “Lyla.” He glances at me, and apology is written on his face.
“It’s okay,” I reassure him in a soft voice. There’s no way I’m going to make things awkward with him and his girlfriend, and hey, I’m bursting with curiosity to meet her.
Troy has called herbeautifulboth times I’ve heard him on the phone with her, and she’s definitely that. She’s about 5’8 with long, straight brown hair that could cover her chest if she was a mermaid and ran out of seashells.
“I was in the area and thought I’d surprise you,” Lyla says as Troy wraps her in a hug.
Troy gives amazing hugs, and part of me wants to switch her places. Deprivation of human contact for months will do that to you.
Over Troy’s shoulder, her eyes flit to me. “I didn’t know you were… with someone,” Lyla says as they pull apart. Her voice isn’t accusatory. Just confused.
Oh my gosh. Does she think …? Is she under the impression …?
I stick out my hand. “Hey, I’m Stephanie. Troy’s old friend from high school.” Technically, we were friends well before that, but I don’t think Lyla cares about technicalities when, from what I can tell, she thinks she just caught her boyfriend with another woman.
I know how it feels to wonder. Every movie Curtis has been in has depicted a romance, meaning he spent a lot of time with female costars. I must be immature and insecure because it was always really hard for me.
Lyla takes my outstretched hand, a hesitant smile on her face, like she’s still not sure what she’s stepped into. The handshaking stops, and her eyes fix on me. Slowly, her jaw drops. “Stephanie. As in Stephanie Carr.” It’s not a question, but she looks to Troy for confirmation.
He gives an awkward toothy smile. “Lyla, meet Stevie. Stevie, Lyla.”
Lyla’s eyes light up with the type of giddy energy that always puts me on edge. When people realize who I am—or who I was married to—they get this look in their eyes, like I’m… suddenly interesting.
“You didn’t tell me you went to high school with Stephanie Carr!” Lyla threads her arm through Troy’s. It’s silly for her to be mad at Troy —even pretend-mad—for not telling her about me. And yet, part of me wants to ask him, “Yeah, whydidn’tyou tell her?”
It’s dumb. So dumb. He’s been living his life for the last few years, just like I’ve been living mine. I have no one to blame for my absence except myself. And Curtis. He wasn’t a huge fan of me keeping in touch with people from back home. “They don’t know what to keep private,” he’d say.
“Totally next on my list of things to tell you,” Troy says to Lyla.
“Right,” she replies with a smile. “It’s good to see you. Three days is too long.”
“It is,” Troy confirms, smiling right back down at her.
She goes up on her tiptoes, and they kiss. It elicits a visceral reaction in my chest.
What is going on with me? I’m a starved dog with a bone. Troy is that bone, and I’m ready to bite anyone who dares come near. It’s certifiably insane. I need to branch out and make some more friends ASAP.
Lyla turns back to me. She’s got a nice smile, and even though she’s excited, it’s not over-the-top. “I can’t believe you’re actually here.” She shakes her head in wonder as she looks at me. “You are every bit as stunning as in your photos—and I’ve seen a million pictures of you.”
