Page 14 of Covetous

Liv sighs heavily. “I’m going to miss this,” she murmurs, her voice heavy with nostalgia.

Esme scoots into the chair next to mine. “Then don’t go to LA this fall. It’s too soon.”

Liv takes the seat across from us. “You don’t just turn down USC.”

“No, you don’t,” I say. “But we’re going to miss you.” I look at Esme sitting next to me, then across at Liv. These two ladies mean the world to me despite our occasional bickering. “We’ve had some good times.”

Liv grins. “Yeah, we have.”

Esme props her elbow on the table and rests her hand on her cheek. “The best,” she says with a sigh.

The college parties, the step shows, the road trips, eating greasy food late at night at Harry’s—we’ve had a time. But Ian’s right. This moment in our lives won’t last forever. Soon, we’ll have careers that will require much more adulting than we’re currently used to. There is a great deal of uncertainty that lies ahead. Especially since I’ll still be here when Esme leaves for LA and moves in with Liv.

Will we remain as close as we are now? Or will I lose them? Our sisterhood means the world to me, and I want to protect it at all costs.

A waitress comes to our table to take our orders, and after she delivers our drinks, Liv fills us in on her new living arrangements. “I’ll upgrade to a two-bedroom when you join me next summer,” she tells Esme.

Esme stirs her drink with its straw, stalling. “Yeah, cool.”

“You are joining me, right?”

“She will,” I answer for her. Esme’s wanted to be an actress since we were kids, taking part in every community play she could get her hands on before majoring in theater arts in college. She’s an incredible actress, singer, and dancer. And no one can deny her beauty and stage presence.

Avoiding eye contact, Esme takes a sip of her espresso martini. “It all depends.”

Liv cocks her head to the side, her curiosity piqued. “On what, exactly?”

“On how things go with me and my man.”

Liv and I share a look. It’s time for me to speak up. “You aren’t considering staying here in Houston for a guy, are you?”

Esme shrugs, a hint of defiance in her eyes.

“This is exactly what we worried about,” Liv adds, her expression a mix of displeasure and lack of surprise.

“We?” Esme pushes her ombre brown tresses out of her face, but a few strands of her naturally curly bob stubbornly spring back into her eyes. “Skylar would stay in Houston for Ian. So what’s the difference?”

“I love Houston.”

“And Ian put a ring on it,” Liv says.

Esme rolls her eyes. “Well, maybe Victor will do the same one day.”

Liv slumps back in her chair. “You can’t be serious.”

“Why can’t I be?”

“Because it’s Victor,” Liv retorts, without missing a beat. “That boy doesn’t have a marriage bone in his body.”

I reach for anything that can turn this situation around, trying to find a positive perspective. I have my doubts, though. “Has he indicated wanting to move things in that direction?”

“Not at all,” Liv answers for her.

Esme falls quiet, taking a long sip of her drink while she eyes Liv. She doesn’t want to talk about it—in front of me. I shouldn’t be jealous that she’s confided in Liv instead of me. Our twosome became a threesome years ago. And Esme and I may have history, but Liv was the missing puzzle piece to our sisterhood. Ironically, I still feel left out, even though Liv isn’t in my inner circle of confidants.

Esme stirs the ice in her drink. A hint of uncertainty lingers in her eyes, betraying her struggle to express herself. “Do you leave stuff over at Ian’s after staying the night? Like a toothbrush, tampons, or whatever.”

“All the time. Why?”

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