Page 30 of Lessons in Forgiving
But Maeve was not convinced. She was moving now. Toward me, with determination in her eyes I knew all too well.
“Your outfit will always be athing, Paula. Whether you want it to be or not, it’s the first thing people notice.” I rolled my eyes at the monologue I knew all too well, too. I was lucky enough to hear it every time we went out. “Plus,” she said, standing in front of me. “Now that you’re forced to break theNCAand spend time with Henry, the least you can do is look sexy while doing so. Make him regret it, right?”
Taking my hand in hers, she dragged me back up the stairs. I was too tired to fight her on it, and when she pushed me onto her bed to go through her closet, I was actually kind of glad. I think I might’ve fallen asleep in the ten seconds she left me unattended.
Look, don’t force a tired girl into bed if you’re not willing to live with the consequences.
“Paula!” Her screech would’ve been my cue to open my eyes again. I did not.
I mumbled, only half sure I made any sound at all. “Hm?”
“It’s 6:40, not three in the morning. Get! Up!”
It wasn’t the clothes she hurled at my head that got me to sit up, eyes flying open. It was the fact that, apparently, it was 6:40—and I was supposed to have left ten minutes ago.
“It’swhat?” I asked, so panicked Maeve furrowed her brow. Struggling to climb out of bed for the second time today, Iignored the shorts and shirt she’d thrown my way. “I have to go—”
“It’s 6:35, to be exact.” Which made me exhale so loudly, with so much relief, I wouldn’t be surprised if it woke Riley and Laila down the hall. I could make up those five minutes easily enough. I’d allowed for an extra ten for my walk to the gym anyway.
“And you’re not leaving anywhere without—” She stomped the few steps over, grabbed the clothes she’d picked out for me, and shoved them into my chest. “Putting these on.”
I had no choice but to accept them.
And really, who was I to deny a fashion major her opportunity to dress someone for an occasion? Even if that occasion was… the gym.
I changed the baggy sweatpants for leggings, the oversized T-shirt for a cropped, long-sleeved compression shirt, and Maeve seemed pleased with her work.
Nodding, she said, “It’ll be warm enough for that by the time you get out of the gym.” Like she knew the exact time that would be. “And take this.” When she threw the white T-shirt at me, I actually caught it this time.Was that what coffee did?“For a change of clothes,” she added as an afterthought.
“Again,” I stressed. “I’m not the one working out. Why would I— ?” But she was already pushing me out of her room. Halfway down the stairs, when the doorbell rang and I froze in my steps, I needed about one second to guess who it could be.
Maeve had only needed half of one, and rushed past me without so much as a glance for permission.
My heart dropped into the bottom of my stomach when she cheered, “Henry!” And I only managed to throw her T-shirt into my tote bag before catching up.
What was he doing here?
Even from behind, I knew the appraising look currently on my best friend’s face. Her head moved down, then back upuntil her eyes met Henry’s. She was probably glaring now. “Some things never change, do they?” she asked, referring to his punctuality.
I managed to reach them just in time to see her fake smile fall into a straight line. “Never mind,” she said, shaking her head as if she’d just remembered something. “A lot of thingshave.”
Henry’s eyes flicked to mine, and I couldn’t do anything but give him an apologetic smile by way of greeting. In Maeve’s direction I mouthed a simpleWhat the fuck?
When I looked back at Henry, the irritation that had laced into his brows, the beginning of a scowl on his face, blew away like dandelions in a summer breeze. He gave a small smile in return, and his eyes drifted to Maeve again.
“Good to see you, too, Maeve,” he said, and it actually sounded sincere. “Heard about that internship you landed. Congrats, really.” Sincerity, again.
Without waiting for a reply, Henry gestured for me to follow him to the Audi parked on our curb, which I didn’t get to without a confused glare from my best friend. She was probably wondering how Henry knew anything about her internship, when all we were supposed to talk about was him.
Which was something I didn’t want to answer now, so I hurried to catch up with the brunette waiting by his black SUV. “Whatare you doing here?”
He held the passenger door open, huffed once like I should know the answer. Maybe I already did. “You’ve been late twice now. And you think I’ll believe the interview at seven in the morning is going to be the one you’re on time for?”
I gasped, and I wished he wouldn’t show how well he still knew me every time we spoke. Because I’d been well on my way tobeinglate. Just like he’d predicted. I tried to defend myself anyway. “I was just about to leave!”
“Of course.”
I rolled my eyes in amusement, slipping into the passenger seat. Henry closed the door behind me and leisurely walked to the other side, key swinging on his finger.
