Page 58 of The Snowball Effect

Amazing! I’ll see you later

Won’t bother you at work again (today) unless I come across another undeniable must-see’

Wait – seriously, guess where they’re from!!

Emma – 2:38PM

Ummmm Idaho

Regan Freaking Gallagher – 2:38 PM

NEW JERSEY!!!! LIKE WTF!!! Lmao

Emma shook her head, finding that she was annoyingly amused. She shouldn’t be surprised, she knew, because Reganwasamusing. Emma had known that for the past couple ofyears. It had just been an easy personality trait to overlook because she hadn’t wanted to get sucked in.

It had been a few days since their bonding time over the weekend – Emma hated referring to it like that, but there was simply no other word for it. They’dbonded. First over the cupcakes, and then over watching that damn reality show Regan had put on that Emma was forced to admit she’d gotten sucked into – and she really did feel like they’d started to turn a corner.

Regan had been trying with Emma for a while, and it was now up to her to reciprocate that effort.

Emma was finding that it was startlingly and disconcertingly easy to do so.

So, she’d been doing little things. Like answering Regan’s texts when she had a break. She’d ignored them before because… she didn’t even really know – to prove a point, maybe? That they didn’t have to be friends even if they were roommates?

Regan’s messages were often dramatic or hyperbolic, for sure. But now that Emma wasn’t dismissing Regan’s attempts at communication, she found that Regan’s texts – under the theatrics – fell into two categories: either it was something unfailingly amusing, much like the text she’d just received, or it was something thoughtful.

Like asking Emma what her favorite brand of tissues were because they were out, and she was going to run to the store on her way home. Or if Emma needed any menstrual products because Regan had – somewhere along the way – clocked that they were synced up, and she was grabbing herself tampons.

It was… nice. Emma had to admit it.

As if summoned by her thoughts, her phone buzzed again.

Sutton Spencer – 2:40 PM

So – how’s it going? Regan told me you two baked together??

Emma shook her head slightly, noting that the car was turning onto the blockOllywas located on.

Emma – 2:40 PM

It’s good. Unsurprisingly, Sutton, you may have been right.

Emma wasn’t surprised to find Regan in the kitchen when she got home after work. After the question Regan had asked her, she also wasn't surprised to find that Regan had made them chicken for dinner.

Shewassurprised as she came to a slow stop in the doorway to the kitchen to see the extent to which Regan had gone to.

A whole roasted chicken was on the counter, fresh out of the oven, accompanied by mashed potatoes, stuffing, brussels sprouts, rolls, and gravy.

She blinked, trying to take it in. “Am I missing something? ItisJuly, right?”

Regan turned, her mouth falling open in faux shock. “Emma, what are you talking about?! It’s November! This is our Thanksgiving spread!”

“You know, if I hadn’t just walked from the subway to our apartment in cloying heat, Imightbe tempted to believe you,” she dryly shot back.

Regan’s expression easily melted into a smile, and she shrugged. “Yeah, well, I had to try.”

Emma tentatively took a few steps into the kitchen, lured by the incredible smell. “Just to be clear – I’mnotmissing some sort of major holiday, right?”

“As far as I know, the only major holiday in July is the Fourth, and we don’t celebrate with roasted chicken,” Regan returned.

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