Page 59 of Sweet Little Lies
Her tight smile and nod of her head before she stands and walks away is probably the closest I will get to an actual agreement.
The truth is, my parents know they can’t make me marry Alberto. I know it. Alberto knows it. They can continue to shove Alberto in my face at every family get-together, but it’s not enough to change my mind. Or my heart.
Because there isn’t anything in the world that could make me change my mind about Lance.
~~~
After leaving my parents, I drive over to Ainsley and Cade’s apartment. He’s apparently out of town in New York at a business conference, so Ainsley invited me to come over and hang a little bit. Plus, I know she’s been dying to talk about wedding plans. She only has her younger sister and Cade’s mom and sisters, so she’s eager to have someone just to listen to her instead of bombarding her with ideas and suggestions.
I knock on the door of her house and it swings open, Ainsley’s bright smile lighting up her face. When I first met her, she kept that smile to herself most of the time and it took a good six months for her to finally open up to me. But from there, our friendship blossomed and she’s one of the most loving, caring and supportive friends I’ve ever had in my life.
“Hey you,” she greets, opening the door wider so I can step in. “Come on in and take a load off.”
“Mmm, it smells good in here. Are you baking?”
She moves around me and into the kitchen, which is a bit outdated, but clean and bright, and she checks the timer on the oven.
“Yeah. I’m making cookies for Cade when he gets back to town tomorrow night. Is that too domestic and pathetic?” she asks, scrunching her nose.
I chuckle.
“I think it’s romantic. And sweet. And I bet it will score you lots of points in bed.”
We laugh and she opens the fridge door. “What can I get you to drink? Coke? Tea?”
“Just water is fine. How’s it been without Cade this week?”
She sets down the water in front of me and sticks out her lower lip in a pout.
“God, I’ve missed him so much. I never thought I could miss anyone like I do. Although Anika’s been around, it’s just not the same. Plus, she’s a surly teenage girl and has her nose stuck in her phone all the time.”
She mentions her teenage sister, now a sophomore in high school and I look around to see if there’s evidence of her at home.
“Is she here? I haven’t seen her in months.”
Ainsley shakes her head, pulling out a piping hot batch of cookies from the oven, placing them on the wire cooling rack on the counter. I sniff the air and sigh. They smell yummy and full of gooey goodness.
“No, she’s over at her boyfriend’s house.”
My ears perk up and my eyes go wide. It was only a matter of time before Anika started dating. She’s just a younger version of Ainsley – which means she’s beautiful – dark raven hair and azure colored eyes.
“Boyfriend? Since when?” I slide a cookie off the pan and into my waiting hand. It’s hot and soft and I think I’ll be heaven the minute I bite down.
“She and Jordan have been together now for six weeks. In fact, he asked her to the homecoming dance a week after they first went out. Now they’re practically inseparable. And I’m a nervous wreck, nagging her all the time about using protection and safe sex and the statistics on teen pregnancy. I’d hoped I wouldn’t be ‘that parent’, you know?”
The cookie melts in my mouth and I groan at its deliciousness. Wiping off the corner of my mouth, I tilt my head in question.
“Do you think they’ve already done it?”
Even though I lost my virginity in high school, it seems weird to think that little Ani would be at that point in her life already.
“She says they haven’t gone all the way yet…but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time. They try not to be all touchy-feely around me and Cade when they’re over here, but I’ve walked by her open bedroom door when they were making out and, ahem, have requested they dial it down a notch. So yeah, I’d say they’re pretty serious. Speaking of which…what’s new with you and Lance? Where is he tonight?”
I tell her everything that’s been going on between us – the good and the bad – the angst I feel about my family’s displeasure over him, and the fight he was in with his dad, and even the concerns I have about his behavior as of late. I feel ridiculous about even bringing that up, but I need to tell someone.
There’s also the fact that he’s been late a lot recently to pick me up, has ditched classes more than usual, and that one night he didn’t come over or even call me, saying the next day that he’d fallen asleep and didn’t wake up until that next morning.
Ainsley thinks carefully on her response.
