Page 37 of Just Friends Forever
Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.
TORI
*GIF of buttered toast*
I sigh. Their references to the infamous wisdom tooth video stopped being funny about eight years ago.
Troy
Did I mention the reason I’m asking you to keep her company is because I’ll be on a date? Just thought that was worth repeating.
By the way, if you park in the driveway, you should be able to avoid the paparazzi lined up on the sidewalk.
Apparently, the pressure washer wasn’t a big enough deterrent. Paparazzi have returned over the course of the day. This time, they’ve got equipment to protect their cameras, the sly dogs.
I put on a black button down and some dark gray jeans, spritz some cologne, then put the final touches on my hair, which is always the last part of getting ready. The icing on the cake, if you will.
Siena and Tori should be here any minute, but I want to make sure Stevie’s okay with everything first, so I head to her door, knock, and wait for the sound of her footsteps.
“Hey,” she says after opening the door. She’s wearing leggings and an oversized sweatshirt, looking ready for a comfy night at home. I’m a little jealous.
Her gaze flits to my hair, and she smiles mischievously, reaching for it. I swat her hand away. “No touchie.”
She doesn’t bat an eye. It’s the reaction I always have when anyone tries to mess with my mop—and Stevie has always loved to try.
“I wanted to run a couple things by you before I leave,” I say.
“Yeah, of course. Come in.”
I follow her down the stairs, and my eyes flit to cardboard Austin, hanging out by the kitchen. She hasn’t moved him or shoved him in a closet yet. He’s got the central spot in the apartment. Maybe that’s how she likes it.
“So,” I say as she takes a drink from a cup on the counter and comes back to stand by me near the door. “I just checked, and we’ve got a half-dozen paps outside. I ordered a video doorbell that should arrive tomorrow. It’ll let us keep tabs and yell obscene things at them whenever we feel like it.”
“Whenever we feel like it? That could be a full-time job.”
I straighten my imaginary tie. “I might be overqualified, but I’ve got real passion.”
Her mouth breaks into a smile. I kind of wish I could stay here and hang out on the couch, eating spicy popcorn in my sweats. It’s the lazy, antisocial part of me that resists anything requiring effort.
I can’t even imagine the sort of texts I’d get from my sisters if I canceled my date, though. Besides, I need to talk to Lyla.
“I told Siena and Tori to park in the driveway and come in the back door,” I say. “Keep all the blinds and curtains closed, and don’t answer the door to anyone. Siena and Tori are a force to be reckoned with, but if you’re at all nervous, call the cops. I called them earlier to tell them about the paparazzi hanging out here, so—” I stop at the look on her face. “I’m being weird, huh?”
“Yeah,” she says with a smile. “Weird but sweet. We’ll be fine. Just go have fun. But nottoomuch fun.” She wags her eyebrows.
I take in a deep breath. I’m not sure how much fun it’ll be tonight. At some point, I have to ask Lyla the question I don’t want to ask. I’m just not sure whether to get it over with at the beginning or to keep it until the end.
“Troy?” Stevie says, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Mmhmm?”
She pauses. “I just want to say sorry.”
I lift a brow. “For…?”
She looks down, fiddling with the hem of her sweatshirt. “For not being a better friend these past few years.” She shakes her head and meets my gaze. “I convinced myself I was too busy, but really, I just didn’t have my priorities straight. And then when things started to go downhill with Curtis”—she lifts her shoulders—“I was too embarrassed to admit it. And then I wasn’tallowedto admit it.”
I nod.
