Page 16 of Just Friends Forever
Troy brings a couple extra pillows from his apartment, and I watch him set them on the bed with unexpected precision.
“Nice placement,” I say, half-impressed, half-amused.
“When you show homes for a living, you learn a thing or two.” He karate chops both pillows in the middle, then steps back to critique his work like I’m not about to pull those pillows off the bed and climb under the covers.
He looks around the room. “I think that should be everything. Towels are in the bathroom, which I gave a quick cleaning.” His eyes land on a poster, and he grimaces. “I promised Austin I wouldn’t take this stuff down, but if they’ll give you nightmares, consider them gone.”
I wave dismissively at the nearest one. “They’re fine.”
“Fine?” He cocks a teasing brow.
I shoot him an unamused look. “Fine as in I don’t want to change anything about Austin’s apartment when I’m an uninvited guest here.”
He nods, then gets distracted by a scratch on the nightstand, rubbing it with his finger. I’m still not sure what to think of all this. Troy has an entire life—a job, a house, a girlfriend—that I know hardly anything about, and yet he’s dropped everything to clean his brother’s bathroom and make a bed for me to sleep in like I haven’t been a crappy friend to him since marrying Curtis.
“Hey, Troy?”
He turns toward me, brows raised.
“Thank you. For everything.”
“Eh.” He brushes off my gratitude.
“No, really. I don’t deserve any of your charity, but I’m thankful for it.” Just imagining myself alone in that West Hollywood apartment right now makes my eyes sting. I guess I got used to being alone, but I hadn’t realized just how lonely I was—even before Curtis and I separated—until Troy came over.
He feels like home.
His expression sobers, and he steps toward me. “I’ll always be here for you, Stevie. And don’t talk nonsense. You deserve every good thing life has to offer, even if it feels like all life is giving you right now is dried up lemons.” He lowers his head to hold my gaze. “You can stay here as long as you want, okay?”
I nod, swallowing hard.
“You going to be all right? Or do you want some company?”
“I’m all right,” I say, but even I don’t believe me. Sleep was sounding great just a few minutes ago, but right now, I really don’t want to be alone. Not again. I feel like, if I go to sleep in that bed, I’m going to wake up again in West Hollywood with no one to talk to.
He looks at me for a few seconds. “I’ll grab the popcorn.”
Watching reruns ofThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Airunder a throw, holding a bowl of ranch-seasoned popcorn is probably the best possible scenario for the night of my divorce being finalized. Hearing Troy laugh and watching him do the Carlton dance when he gets up to get us water is like eating home cooking after months of takeout. It’s being wrapped up in a warm blanket of the past.
I don’t have a ton of confidence in the future, but the familiarity of the past might just get me through the present.
Lyla calls midway through the third episode, when both Troy and I are nodding off. He tells her in a groggy voice that he’ll see her tomorrow.
I can’t remember the last time I went to sleep without doing my skincare routine, or brushing my teeth for that matter, but tonight I go the extra mile and fall asleep with greasy, ranch-seasoned fingers.
6
TROY
Are you still watching?the tv screen reads through my bleary eyes.
Blinking, I look around, trying to make sense of where I am. The first thing I catch sight of is the cardboard Austin. Right. I’m in his apartment.
My heart stutters as I catch sight of Stevie. She’s curled up under a blanket, leaning over with her head on the throw pillow against the armrest. Her peaceful face makes it hard to believe she’s been going through such a rocky time for the past year. Or more? I don’t even know when the problems started in her marriage. Or what the problems were.
All I know is she’s here and I think she needs me. Or someone.
I didn’t miss the way she hesitated when I offered for her to come to Austin’s apartment. It was like traveling back in time to that stupid night after graduation when I told her I wanted to be more than friends. What insanity took over me is still the great mystery of my life. How I could possibly think she would respond positively to that sort of confession when I knew she was in love with Austin will puzzle behavioral scientists for generations to come.
