Page 94 of Is It Casual Now?

“It has been mentioned.” By Tori herself, actually, during one of their many arguments over the past years. Though this time it didn’t quite carry the same tension that it used to.

Tori laughed and got up from the table once more.

Siena busied herself with eating until a heavythunkjerked her head up again.

“Go see her. Go take this to her place, and for the love of God, just get out of your own head long enough to let her into it.”

“Oh my God.” Siena laughed as her eyes flicked from the bottle of tequila, to Tori’s eyes, and then back to the bottle. “I don’t think that’s going to be as helpful as you think. Besides, I owed you a bottle, not the other way around.”

“I have a theory about that.” Tori sat back down, and the air between them had grown warm and comfortable again.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” Tori picked at her food. “Tequila doesn’t make people get horizontal easier.”

“Oh, I beg to differ.” Memories of their post-divorce fucking flooded Siena’s brain. It had been sloppy, drunk, dizzying, and had wrecked her all at the same time.

Tori shushed Siena, who quickly mimed zipping her lips.

With a nod, Tori continued. “It helped us…” She flicked her fingers between herself and Siena, “…get horizontal because that was what we needed.”

“Really?”

“Yep. It seems to have the effect of getting rid of the bullshit walls and making you do what needs to be done.”

“We needed to shag one last time?” Siena asked, amused by the entire conversation.

“Apparently.” Tori smiled.

“Hang on.” Siena narrowed her eyes. “If that’s the case, then what did it make you and Miranda do?”

“That…” Tori pointed a finger at Siena as she stood up and quickly busied herself with tidying up the empty cups and plates, “…is something no one else ever needs to know.”

Siena laughed and helped by wiping down the table as Aili stepped back inside. God, Siena missed her. With Harley not being in daycare except in the evenings, Siena barely saw her old friend anymore.

“What problems are we solving?” Aili put her hands on her hips. “Harley’s sufficiently entertained.”

Siena furrowed her brow and wrapped her arms around Aili’s neck in a tight hug. “Tori already solved them.”

“You’re kidding.” Aili frowned. “You mean I don’t get to use my amazing deduction skills?”

“No, sorry.”

Aili’s gaze dropped to the bottle of tequila on the table. “Who’s trying to get laid?”

Siena broke out into a laugh, right along with Tori. Siena wrapped her arm around Aili’s waist and pulled her in for a slight hug. She really needed to not forget her friends so often. She needed them, just like they needed her.

“Tori,” she said as Tori was about to head out of the kitchen, undoubtedly to go check on Harley.

“Yeah?” She stopped and turned around.

“Are you really not mad at me for wasting your time?”

“Oh, no.” Tori wrapped her arms around Siena’s neck and held tight. “I’ll never be mad at you for that. We have a relationship I wouldn’t trade for the world and a daughter I’d kill for.”

“Not die for?”

“Well, sure.” Tori untangled her arms and stepped out of Siena’s space. “But that’s easy. Anyone can die, but killing takes deliberate action.”

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