Page 9 of Comeback
I guess he’s not going with London’s advice of just sending it.
“Why are you sweating it so much?” I ask. “She’s back in town. Either way you’ll get to see her more.”
“I know,” he says, but he sounds as glum as a kid who just found out he can’t keep the stray puppy he found. Not that Sabrina is a stray puppy. She’s more like a cat. “I like the idea of her being here, seeing her every day, having low-key casual time just to get to know her like I would if we’d grown up together.”
Understanding dawns on me. He wants what he didn’t have with her. A second chance. Growing up with a house full of siblings wasn’t as dreamy as he makes it out to be, but I can understand wanting to create a sense of it by living together now.
I still hate the idea of her being here, but that’s just because I’m afraid the more she’s around, the more attached Brogan is going to get. And the worse it’ll hurt when she leaves again.
“I think I’ll wait and ask her in person.”
“Good idea.” Before she left, they only saw each other once every couple of weeks. That’s plenty of time for her to find an apartment and then I won’t even need to worry about it.
“Brunch?” I ask hopefully. I need to manage this hangover before I make any more bad decisions.
He laughs. “Go get ready, princess. We leave in five.”
3
SABRINA
“Cocoa Pebbles or Fruit Loops?” Olivia holds the cereal boxes in either hand.
“Ooooh tough decision.” I mull it over carefully. “Fruit Loops. I never did love chocolate cereal.”
Greer giggles beside me. I glance over at the adorable five-year-old sitting on a stool next to me. She’s dressed for school in a pink, frilly dress with leggings underneath and her blonde hair is pulled up in pigtails. An ever-present tiara sits on top of her head.
“Wait. Were you not talking to me?” I ask Olivia.
Laughing, she sets two bowls out on the kitchen counter and proceeds to pour me a bowl of Fruit Loops, then the other for her daughter who requests the same.
“Living here really is the dream,” I say as I dig into my breakfast.
“You should just move in with us forever,” Greer says in the most genuine, sweet tone. I could just kiss her.
“Tempting, but I don’t think there’s room for my tiara collection and yours.”
“You don’t have any tiaras,” she says so matter-of-factly I can’t even argue.
“Exactly. No room. Isn’t it sad?”
She giggles again.
As soon as she finishes her cereal, Olivia instructs her to put her shoes on and grab her backpack.
I take my bowl around to the sink. “Thank you for letting me crash here. I promise I will not move in with you forever.”
Olivia huffs a laugh. “I’m on Greer’s side. If it weren’t for the stupid rental rules, I’d have already bought a bunkbed for my room.”
“Oh my god, can you imagine us?” I smile, picturing late nights talking and laughing.
“Speaking of, do I need to wait until she leaves to show my face?” I motion with my head toward the apartment next door where the landlord lives.
Technically, only two people are allowed to reside in Olivia’s apartment, hence the lying low.
“No. I’m allowed guests. It’s only been what? A week? Two?”
“Twenty-two lovely nights on the couch awoken by a beautiful angel every morning,” I say longingly. The couch part maybe isn’t ideal (or the early morning thing) but I’m so grateful I’ve been able to stay here while I look for something more permanent. Plus, it’s less lonely. Olivia and I have only been friends a short time, but she feels like a long-lost soulmate and Greer really is the cutest, sweetest thing ever.
