Page 26 of Passionate Hearts

“I think that’s what I need to do. Do you think we can go back to being friends?” River asked.

“Of course.”

Brianna managed a smile, even though on the inside she wanted to run away.

“I thought maybe you and I could hangout tonight. Get back to things being normal between us,” River suggested.

Brianna didn’t have enough energy for a proper answer, instead, she nodded her head.

“Great. That’s great. I’m so excited to spend some time together. Not being able to hang out with you has been hard.”

Brianna smiled genuinely at that. Not being able to hang out with River had been hard on her, too. Maybe they were just meant to be friends. Brianna could do this.

“What time do you want to go out?” Brianna asked.

“Let’s head out around seven. If that works for you?”

“Seven sounds great. I’m going to go run a few errands before then.”

Brianna offered River a smile so wide that it made her face hurt.

“Great. I’ll see you around seven.”

Brianna rose from the couch. She grabbed her keys and headed for the door. Her interaction with River hadn’t been as smooth as she was used to. She could only hope they’d get their friendship mojo back with time. Her next stop was WaterColor Krav Maga. She knew that Jordan would be taking the next class. Brianna had never needed to punch something more than in this moment.

Jordan was stretching on the mat when Brianna arrived. She glanced up in surprise but smiled widely at her.

“Allison told me that you were going to have your talk with River today. So I wasn’t expecting to see you today. Did you and River get to talk?”

Brianna felt as though her heart was tightening in her chest. It felt like the mention of River had put her heart in a vice. She forced a smile.

“We talked,” Brianna said simply.

“That bad, huh?” Jordan asked.

There was no sense of judgment in Jordan’s question. She knew her new friend was simply making the observation.

“It wasn’t great,” Brianna admitted. The corners of her mouth lifted in a more authentic smile. At the very least, Jordan cared enough to ask.

“What happened?”

“She wants to talk to her girlfriend and give her another chance to make changes.”

Brianna couldn’t keep the note of sadness from creeping into her voice. Jordan seemed unbothered by the news.

“At least now you know where you stand with her. Do you think the two of you are going to stay friends?” Jordan asked.

“I think so. We’re meeting up for dinner tonight.”

“How does that make you feel?”

“I’m conflicted,” Brianna admitted.

“That makes sense to me. There’s no easy way to make that transition,” Jordan suggested.

“Exactly. Plus, River has someone to fall back on. For me, I’m alone.”

“I wouldn’t say alone. You have great friends. But I understand. There’s only so much a friend can do for you. It’s nice to have a romantic partner.”

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