Page 105 of Forgive You

I knew the youngest member of our group was never going to let me get away with an answer like that. Rae and Charlotte would, but Kayla says it how she sees it. It’s refreshing most of the time. Unless you don’t wanna talk about something, and she decides you have to.

“It’s…” I think about the right words.

“Don’t you dare say it’s complicated.” Charlotte scowls. “That’s my line.”

“Are you together?” Rae asks.

God, I hope so.

“We haven’t really spelled it out yet. But I think we are?”

“Oh, you are,” Kayla throws out there, and I toss an ice cube at her wolfish grin.

“Jordan says you are.” Charlotte shrugs innocently, though her eyes gleam with the same mischief as Kayla and Rae.

“Jordan doesn’t know shit,” I counter.

“I think Jordan is right.” Rae smiles, taking a sip of her wine.

Her head is tilted a little, her two-tone pink tank top sliding off her shoulder as she does. I hold her daring gaze, an eyebrow popping up as if she’s saying,you know it’s true.

Little brats. I think Jordan is right, yeah.

“Do you want him to be right?” Charlotte shoves the plate of antipasti my way, and I toss a piece of serrano ham into my mouth.

“I do,” I say, chewing around it. “But I still feel like it can slip from my fingers any moment now.”

“Why?”

“Because it did the last time.”

“What happened last time?” Rae runs a hand through her blonde hair, flipping it to the side before she slides the tray back to her to pick up an olive.

My chest tightens, knowing exactly which conversation I’m about to have. I’ve been avoiding it for months now, because Iknow these girls. I love them to death, and I’m certain the feeling is mutual.

As soon as they find out everything Jacob did, they’ll be out the door with pitchforks and machetes. My sweet Charlotte takes the lead, even though she’s the peacemaker of the four of us.

But knowing Jason and I are finally in a good place, and no longer feeling as alone as I was, it’s time.

I suck in a breath. “Jacob proposed.”

“What? When? Are you kiddin me?” each one of them exclaims at the same time, barely enough space to figure out who said what.

All of them have shocked looks on their faces, jaws slacked and eyes wide.

“A couple months back,” I admit, taking another big gulp of my drink. “We were the only ones left at the office and it was late. We were getting along, which was rare, then all of a sudden, he pulled out a ring and asked me to marry him.”

The whole thing was bizarre as fuck. I broke up with him a month before. We were speaking, but only because we worked together. For the sake of the company. And you know, being a professional and all. I know for a fact I hadn’t given himanyindication I was thinking about taking him back.

Jason was flying home the next day, and I was finally going to admit how I felt about him.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Kayla cocks her head, her expression softening.

“Because I obviously said no right away. Plus, I was embarrassed and annoyed. I broke up with him four weeks earlier, and this time, I meant it. I was done. Him showing up with a ring just made me angry.”

I already knew the asshole never listened to me, but him buying a ring for a relationship that was dead and gone long before we broke up solidified it.

“So then what?” Rae meets my eyes.

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