Page 44 of The Relationship Mechanic

“Shut up,” Ava said before shaking her head. She sighed and walked over to Dani. “Scoot over. I think I need to sit down for this.”

Vini rolled her eyes at Ava’s dramatics. “There’s nothing to sit down for. You apologized, and I accepted. All done.”

“I know you don’t think that’s all.” Dani raised an eyebrow. “We want to know all about how you feel about things with Jessica. Just because you’re grown, doesn’t mean we can’t be curious.”

“You didn’t give Ava shit about Grace.”

“Oh, yes she did,” Ava replied, side-eyeing Dani. “This heffa cornered me when I was in the shower and grilled me until I was through. Every time I didn’t answer a question, she flushed the toilet.”

Vini grimaced. “That’s just cruel.” She sighed when she realized they wouldn’t give up. “Fine, but there isn’t much to tell. I told you, we had an arrangement. Friends with benefits or whatever.”

Dani nodded. “But, you like her as more than just as a friend.” Before Vini could respond, she continued. “That wasn’t a question, by the way. That was a statement. Anyone who knows you and who doesn’t have their head buried in Grace’s cunt would have been able to see that.”

“Hey.”

Vini chuckled knowing that Dani was right. Maybe talking it out was what she needed to make sense of what to do next. “Fine, yeah. I like her.”

“And you want a relationship with her.”

“Yeah.” The weight of that was heavy. As soon as she said it, Vini realized just how impossible it was. “But she doesn’t. And before you get mad, she told me from the start that she doesn’t do relationships, so I went into this with my eyes wide-open.”

Ava glanced at Dani before speaking. “Then, why did you agree? And before you bite my head off, this isn’t about control. It’s about knowing you, and you’ve always said you wanted a relationship and marriage. Has that changed?”

Vini could appreciate Ava asking even if she didn’t appreciate having the truth put so blatantly before her. “No. That hasn’t changed. I thought I could handle just enjoying the time we had and then let her go, but I don’t know if I can.”

Dani nodded. “How long have you felt like this? Have you talked to Jessica about it?”

Vini ran a hand over her face, tired in a way she had never been. “I don’t know. A few weeks maybe. And no, I haven’t said anything to her about it. I was going to yesterday, but then she started talking about her plans for when she leaves, and she sounded so eager to go. I couldn’t bring it up.”

Dani and Ava exchanged looks, and Vini hated to see pity swirling in their gazes. “Then, what are you going to do?” Ava asked, and Vini could appreciate that she was trying.

What indeed? Vini knew what shewantedto do and what sheneededto do, but how was she going to handle those two not being one and the same?

Twenty-Three

“Itold you it was a bad idea.”

Jessica sighed but didn’t stop folding the shirt in her hand. She had been expecting Grace to come flying through the door as soon as she heard the familiar sound of those tires pull into the driveway. The knowledge that she recognized the sound of tires brought her thoughts back to Vini and the look on her face when Jessica had walked out the door. It had taken everything in her to get in the car and drive away when all she wanted to do was take Vini in her arms and tell her it was going to be okay.

“It wouldn’t have been a bad idea if not for people flying off the handle for no reason,” she shot back before placing the folded shirt in her suitcase.

“It wasn’t for no reason. Ava is very protective of Vini. She has been since they lost their mom. It’s the same as you being protective of Jason. Can you imagine how you’d be if you had to practically raise him or vice versa?” Grace put a hand on Jessica’s shoulder, but she shrugged it off. “Seriously, you can’t be mad at Ava wanting the best for her baby sister.”

“And that’s clearly not me.” Jessica clenched her jaw before turning and giving Grace a withering look. “Are you saying I’m not good enough for Vini? She wants the best, and sorry, I just don’t make the cut?”

Grace’s eyes widened. “Don’t put words in my mouth.”

“Then, how about using your own instead of vomiting out whatever bullshit Ms. Perfect says? Or have you forgotten how to have an original thought of your own?”

“Now you’re just being an asshole.”

Jessica barked out a humorless laugh. “Yes, I’m an asshole. All of this is my fault and no one else’s. I’m the bad person who fucks everyone over.” She was on a roll now, and even though the words were designed to hurt her just as much as Grace, Jessica couldn’t find it in her to stop. “Never mind the fact that Vini and I are grown-ass women who just happened to like one another.”

“You do this all the time, Jess,” Grace spat out. “Just because you’re adults doesn’t mean you should just go for it without thinking about the possible consequences. And I shouldn’t have just gone along with it either.”

“For fuck’s sake, it wasn’t any of your business,” Jessica said. She turned and grabbed another shirt, flicking it out sharply.

“Well, now it is,” Grace replied. “Sometimes when you do things, it affects other people, Jessica. It can hurt other people if it goes wrong. But I guess that doesn’t matter to you as long as you get what you want. Right?”

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