Page 38 of Conquering Conner

“Whatever.” He turns away from her and disappears under the hood again.

She pulls me out the door and down the sidewalk. “Ridiculous…” she mutters while she stomps down the sidewalk. “Hasn’t slept in nine days. Nine.” She’s not talking to me, I know that, but I respond anyway.

“Conner hasn’t slept in nine days?” I think about all the times he showed up outside my window in the middle of the night when we were kids with a casual, I couldn’t sleep. “What’s wrong with him?” I shouldn’t ask. I know I’m not supposed to, that it violates the unspoken rule between us, but I can’t help it.

“What’s wrong with Con?” Tess throws me a laugh over her shoulder as she rounds the corner. “How much time do you have, because I could go on for—” She stops short so suddenly I almost run her over. “Jesus Christ.”

“What?” I say aiming a look around her shoulder at Gilroy’s parking lot. “What’s wrong?” More cars than usual. Declan’s work truck parked in the far corner. Next to it is a red Mercedes C-class convertible.

“Jessica’s here.”

She told me everything. About her and Declan. Her pregnancy. Declan breaking it off without explanation. Losing the baby.

How Jessica pushed her way from the background to center stage, sinking her claws into Declan, who is either too stupid to run or has abandoned all hope for survival.

Something about the way Tess is just standing there, rooted in place, like she’s too stunned to move, makes me angry. She finally looks at me. “Maybe we should just—”

I don’t even let her finish her sentence. “Hell. No.” I grab her by her arm and start pulling her across the parking lot. “We’re going in.”

“Hen—” She starts dragging her feet in earnest went I reach for the door. “I really don’t feel like putting up with her mean-girl bullshit today.” Whatever’s going on with Conner has her taxed. She’s reached her limit. She can’t take anymore lumps today. Not from me and certainly not from Jessica.

But she’s my friend.

The least I can do is cheer her up.

I stop and turn to look at her. “We aren’t taking mean-girl bullshit today, Tess.” I jerk the door open with a smile, ushering her through it with a wave of my hand. “We’re giving it.”

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