Page 66 of My Ex-Best Friends

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***Brooke***

When I wanted to find Aunt Karlene, she was nowhere to be found. I walked all over Beaumont, until Lucy was dragging and I was wet with sweat. We were both so hot and tired that I walked us into the ocean to cool off. Lucy floated like I’d never seen another dog float and I was still staring at him, wondering what the hell was happening, when I heard Kelly’s voice.

“What the hell’s wrong with your dog? Is he dead?”

I looked at her and then back at Lucy. “If I killed my new dog, I’m not going to be okay. I’m warning you now.”

Lucy barked and dragged me back to shore. He shook off and soaked Kelly. Then we both watched in horror as he flopped over and rolled around in the sand.

“Oh, wow. That’s going to be hard to clean.” She wiped her face off and pushed her sunglasses up on her head. “How long until you forgive the idiots and go back to them? I don’t want to rushyou but Noah is looking so pitiful that I’m starting to feel bad for him.”

I plopped down in the sand next to Lucy. “I don’t know.”

“What are you waiting for?”

I hugged my knees to my chest and shrugged. “Same answer. I don’t know.”

She sat down next to me. “What do you need?”

“You’re going to want to strangle me but it’s the same answer. I don’t know. I don’t know anything right now, Kelly. I think I’m just frozen in place.”

“Let me help you.” She turned to face me and took my hands. “Do you want to be with Noah? I don’t mean right this second. I mean, in general.”

I stared out at the ocean and nodded.

“Okay, same question but for Logan and Colt.” She watched me nod and grunted. “That’s what I thought. Alright. Next question. Do you think this fight is something you can move past?”

I licked my dry lips and rested my chin on my knee. “It would be stupid to hold onto it. They hurt me but I hurt them, too. I thought I was doing the right thing by hiding the miscarriage from them but I know now that I was wrong.”

“Wait. What miscarriage?” Kelly gripped my hands tighter and then moved even closer so she could cup my face. “Honey. I’m so sorry.”

I forced a laugh even as my nose burned and my eyes watered. “It was a long time ago.”

“I didn’t know. Noah didn’t give me all the details. Oh, Brooke.” She wiped her own eyes and then pulled me into a hug. “You four are tied together in a lot of ways. Love, loss, and a lot of years. I don’t know all the details, Brooke, but I know that they love you. Those men have been waiting on you for a decade. Seems like maybe you were waiting on them, too. A love like thatdoesn’t just fade away. The way I see it, you can wait this out, hold onto your hurt and anger, or you can cut all the middle shit out and take what you want and need.”

I rested my head on her shoulder and sighed. “I went and packed up my stuff from my ex’s apartment.Ourapartment. My things barely filled two bags. In the decade since I left Beaumont, I lived so little that all of my possessions filled two bags. A decade of my life could be packed up in less than fifteen minutes. I keep thinking about all the time I spent away from here and I wonder if I was ever really happy. How sad is that?”

“I think it’s less sad than it is telling. Your life is here. With three of the best men I’ve ever known.” She took a deep breath. “I can’t say I’m sorry that you left and missed a decade here. You leaving gave me Sinclair. I wouldn’t change it for the world. You have the chance to have everything you want now, though. You can still feel all the things you’re feeling, but why not feel themwiththe guys?”

A seagull landed a few feet away from us and Lucy lifted his head to watch it. I waited for him to give chase but he just laid his head back down and sighed.

“Is it that easy?”

Kelly patted my head. “It’s that easy. They want you. You want them. You’re all nursing some hurt feelings. Why not do it together? At least you can have some hot sex while healing.”

I laughed and the feeling of it was almost foreign.

“I’m about over seeing Noah walking around with his lip stuck out like a little boy. I had to cheer him up after you left the first time and you still owe me for that. Talk about a fucking nightmare.” She stood up and pulled me to my feet. “Time for tough love.”

I winced. “Are you sure?”

“You’re hurting. They’re hurting. Do us all a favor and skip the dramatic, crying in the rain part of this all. Just do whateveryone in this town knows is going to happen and get together already. Plus, your aunt is spreading a rumor that makes me think your days of pouting along are numbered.”

I gasped. “What has she said? I’ve been looking for her all morning.”

“Can’t tell you. I’m not trying to get cursed by Karlene. She’s fucking nuts.” Kelly gripped each side of my face and squeezed until my lips puckered. “Are you going to end this suffering?”

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