Page 119 of I Love My Mistake

They all look hurt. “No.” “Why?” “What’s wrong with this?”

I stamp one foot on the floor and yelp, “No! No! No!”

Jess and Nico blow up in laughter, and Mark grins, his shoulders shaking as he lets go of Jess. She stands up and points at me. “You should see your face!!” I look to my right to see Chris walking out from a curtain, chuckling and looking from me to Josh with an apologetic smile.

My heart is pounding. “I hate you all.”

Jess’s hand flies out to me and I grab it. “I’m sorry. I’ve been an asshole.”

The shock must be doing something with my emotions because I start to cry. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you what to do.”

“Someone had to, because I sure didn’t know.” She pulls me in for a hug. Nico gets up, runs around the table and wraps her arms around both of us. My body relaxes and the tears dry up. Thank God for my girlfriends.

Josh takes an empty seat, saying to the men, “This makes me jealous. Guys… want to hug?”

Chris and Mark both answer, “No.”

The three of us girls all sit by our men. “You guys really got me. Nico, are you drinking whiskey?”

She nods. “You introduced me to it.”

“I did?” I have no recollection of this.

“You gave it to me when I came to your house… that one time? You said it was Josh’s.” Her eyes insinuate she can’t say more; Mark doesn’t need to know she was wrecked over some other guy. God, I’m so glad she didn’t sleep with Michael. I would have a hard time looking at Mark. “Oh right. I forgot.”

“You’re drinking Jameson? I’m in. What do you want, gorgeous?” Josh asks me, rising up.

“Chardonnay, please.” He bends to kiss me, and I smile as he walks away.

Turning back to Mark, I reach out and touch his knee. “So good to see you.”

Grateful, Mark smiles, one corner of his mouth higher than the other. “Good to be seen.” He turns and kisses Nico on the lips, her eyes closing happily as she receives it.

This is how it was always supposed to be.

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