Page 22 of Something Forever

Trying and failing to shove her off me, I turn away, trying to tuck the phone to my ear.

“Hello?”

We both freeze at the sound of the male voice coming through the phone.

“Abbi?”

My eyes wide, I shove the phone towards her, shaking my head. She shakes her head back at me, gesturing for me to take it back. After a few moments of silent communication, she relents, pressing the speaker button.

“Hi, James,” she says, her tone sweeter than honey. “How are you?”

“Uh, I’m alright. What’s up?”

“Just hanging with my friend Whitney. You remember Whit, right? Gorgeous blonde? Legs for days? Impossibly cute?”

I glare at her, and James chuckles slightly.

“What do you want, Ab? I haven’t heard from you in two years, and you call me out of the blue to set me up with your friend?”

“Excuse me! Can’t an ex-girlfriend want to reconnect just for the hell of it?”

“I’m engaged. You’d know if you hadn’t blocked me on Instagram,” he replies.

Abbi’s eyes widen and she stares down at the phone. “Uh, you’re breaking up—can’t—going through tunnel?—”

She hangs up the phone, tossing it onto the couch between us.

“Seriously?” I quirk an eyebrow at her.

We descend into a fit of giggles. After our laughter subsides, we chat for a few more minutes. She gushes about Shane; she’s expecting him to propose any day now, especially since she’s been dropping major hints that she’s ready. Last time I hung out with them, she spent the whole time showing him wedding photographer Instagram accounts and asking what he thought of them.

Abbi has never been one for subtlety.

It’s late when she finally leaves, kissing me on the cheek. “You’re gonna find someone. I know it,” she says.

I shrug. “We’ll see.”

She grabs both my shoulders. “You are not losing out on that money, Whitney. I swear to God, we will find you a husband.”

I nod, feeling suddenly emotional. I really, really want to make the salon a reality, but the more time that passes, the more I’m starting to doubt this entire plan. Too much can go wrong. Too much is at stake.

And I’m no closer to figuring any of it out.

8

LIAM

Is it technically eavesdropping if it’s mostly unintentional?

It’s not like I had my ear to the door, praying to catch a bit of my roommate’s conversation. Whoever her friend is, she’s the loudest person I’ve ever had the (not) pleasure of listening in on, so it’s not my fault that I overheard every word they were saying. I suppose I could’ve put my headphones in, like a decent lad would.

Too bad there’s none of those around here.

Instead, since my door was wide open, and Whitney’s friend was screaming like a banshee and at one point singing Here Comes the Bride, I’m now aware that my new roommate is in the market for a husband.

When I first hear their debate, I could hardly contain my laughter. What a ridiculous pair these two are — like a modern-day Thelma and Louise, cackling like hyenas and from the sound of it blowing through wine like it’s water.

But then I heard the number.

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