Page 118 of The Shake Off

Perhaps she’d find something to help me grow my liver back.

Resting my head on the lounger, I put my sunglasses back on and let the sunshine soak into my bones, hoping it might make me feel better. I needed something, stat. Instead, I groaned loudly enough that Barclay raised his head.

“I don’t get it. Is this still the hangover talking?” asked Kit. “Are you going to tell me why you were so drunk? Not to mention you drinking without me. Rude.”

I huffed a smile. It was the most I could manage. I’d possibly puked up my sense of humor – along with my dignity, and any grace I may have previously possessed. Kit was usually the one who could make me smile, but not today it seemed.

Aside from the fact I hadn’t had the energy to form words until today, I was undecided on whether telling Kit about Penn’s visit was a good idea. His words were still too raw, too fresh, and as much as I hated admitting it, too truthful. I also knew the second I did, she’d storm over to The Lions Stadium and give Penn Hell. It had happened before, and I think he was still a little butthurt over it.

Therefore, I didn’t want to be the one to cause another fight he wouldn’t win.

Even if he did deserve it.

“Ace and I called it quits,” I replied, hoping it was enough information to let the subject go.

I should have known better.

“Pay, I’ve seen you break up with tons of guys before, and you’ve never had a three-day hangover from it. I’ve seen you move on to a new guy after nothing more than a text message to his predecessor, while on the way to a date. What happened?”

I shrugged. “Nothing.”

“Wait, was he the one who broke it off? Is that why you’re upset? Did you like him?”

Oh my God, so many questions my brain was starting to hurt again.

“I broke it off.”

“Then why the hangover?” she pressed as Bell returned with a wooden syringe and sat down next to Barclay.

Poor Barclay.

I closed my eyes. “I just drank too much, that’s all.”

“Do you like Ace?” she asked again.

There was the million-dollar question.

Or rather the question she was really asking – did I like him enough to see what could happen between us? Just like he’d said.

And that was something I didn’t have an answer to… Except Kit wanted one.

“Pay? Do you like Ace Watson?”

I sat up, pushing my glasses onto my head. “I don’t know. Yes, I think so. But where was it going to go? What’s the point?”

“What do you mean, what’s the point?”

I shrugged, but she knew where this was going, because we’d already had some iteration of this conversation a thousand times over the years we’d been best friends. She got up and moved to sit on the end of my lounger.

“Not everything has to end, Pay, and you are not your parents. In fact, I’d go as far as to say you are the exact opposite. Therefore, any relationship you have you’ll go into trying not to repeat their mistakes. Give yourself a break.”

“It’s different. I’m scared of getting to the point of relying on someone and then they leave, like my dad left my mom. I don’t want to turn into my mom.”

“You won’t, and you know how I know that?”

“How?”

“Apart from your mom being the most selfish, self-absorbed woman I’ve ever met, it’s because you don’t want to. Therefore, you’ll make the conscious effort not to. We both know they should never have been together in the first place. You’re yet to find that out with Ace, but you won’t if you don’t try.”

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