Page 39 of Covetous

“No. Make me some eggs,” he says, barely awake. “Scrambled. Not scrambled too hard like last time.”

Making breakfast wasn’t on my to-do list for the morning, but looks like that’s changed. “Yeah, sure,” I say. I shuffle over to his side of the bed to snag my glasses off the nightstand.

“Put a bra on. And a robe while you’re at it.”

I suppress an eye roll. Does he think I’m going to walk out there with my titties hanging out in front of Victor? And while wearing a thin, almost see-through white camisole, no less? Every ounce of my willpower is at work, keeping me from yanking the covers away from him and telling him to make his own damn eggs. But Ian doesn’t cook. That’s a woman’s job.

Again, what are we doing? What the hell am I doing?

As I make my way down the stairs, my confused and traitorous heart skips a beat as I half expect to see Victor standing at the counter brewing his morning coffee. But it’s Esme who greets me, her body draped in a seductive nightgown that leaves little to the imagination. The scent of freshly brewed tea wafts through the air as she leans against the counter. “Surprise.” Her voice raises to a friendly-ish octave.

“Morning.” I temper my disappointment over not seeing Victor. I really wanted to see him to talk about the whole mess with Ian last night. Plus, I owe him a thanks for sticking up for me, though he probably shouldn’t jump in like that again. It’s likely to make things worse. And I can handle Ian. Last night didn’t really show that, but hey, I’m working on it.

“Victor’s not here. In case you were wondering.”

Well, damn. She called me the hell out.

“Just here to whip up some coffee and eggs for Ian,” I blurt out, pulling open the fridge to get the eggs and milk.

“That’s nice of you, considering…”

“Tell me about it.” I let out an annoyed sigh. “You’re up early,” I add, crossing my arms in a self-hug, as if I could squeeze out the embarrassment from last night’s drama with Ian.

“I have a question to ask you.”

“What’s going on?” I give her my full attention, perching myself on the kitchen counter where we’ve shared countless late-night snacks and glasses of wine. But lately, our late-night chats have been replaced by tense silence and awkward avoidance.

Esme bites her lip nervously. “Would you mind making our girls’ trip a couples’ trip?”

Disbelief washes over me as I take in her question. That’s not what I thought she was going to ask. “After last night, do you think that’s a good idea?”

“Victor and I need this. And from what I saw last night, so do you and Ian.”

“I don’t know, E.” Going on vacation with Ian feels like putting a Band-Aid over a deep wound in our relationship. We need therapy, not a romantic getaway. The irony of him being a medical professional who doesn’t believe in therapy isn’t lost on me. “I was looking forward to it being just us girls. We need this.”

“I know,” she sighs. “But things are different with you and me.”

“They are.” Emotion crawls its way up my throat.

“But maybe that’s okay,” she continues.

It’s not okay. I miss how things used to be. But I can’t find the words, especially when I’m to blame. “I know this stuff with Victor?—”

“It’s not about him. I mean, it is, but it’s not. Let’s be real. We can’t blame Victor for what’s happened to our friendship.”

“I’m not blaming him. It’s my fault,” I say, swallowing hard to fight off the lump in my throat and the tears threatening to follow.

“Girl, stop. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

If only she knew how I struggled to get him out of my system every day. “Why do I feel like you’re breaking up with me?” I throw in a wry smile, trying to lighten the mood. But the thought of losing her friendship terrifies me.

“Friendships like ours don’t just stay frozen. They grow, shift, and sometimes even drift a bit. They evolve just like we do. We’re not the same two people we once were.”

“But we came up together—two peas in a pod, side by side. You were there for me when it felt like I had no one.”

“Baby girl, I’ll always be there for you. I’m the one you call when you need help hiding a body.”

I can’t help but crack a smile. “Liv’s the one to call when you need an alibi.”

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