Page 11 of Worth the Chase

Fine.

Looked like Bells and I were going house-shopping together.

I finally had something to look forward to.

BARTENDING IS NOT FOR THE WEAK

BELLA

After responding to the text from Matthew, I shut off the engine and got out of my car. Fiddling with my keys, I walked up the stairs toward my apartment, groaning with each step. My feet were killing me, and all I wanted to do was soak them in a bucket of ice with some Epsom salts. There was something about the freezing cold water that helped ease the aches and pains the following day. I definitely noticed a difference when I iced them versus when I didn’t.

When I reached 3A, I turned the door handle, assuming it wouldn’t budge, but it turned all the way around, and I walked inside. My best friend and roommate, Anna, sat on the couch in her pajamas while some reality show played on the TV in front of her. Her blonde hair was pulled into a high ponytail on top of her head, and it bopped around recklessly as soon as she turned to face me.

“Oh! You’re back. I couldn’t go to sleep until you came home and told me all about it.” She jumped up from her seated position and ushered me toward where she’d just been and practically shoved me down.

“Why are you—” I started to say, but she interrupted me with a loud shush before sweeping into the kitchen.

She returned with an ice-filled bucket and a towel, and I couldn’t help but grin as I unlaced my shoes.

“You prepped my soak for me?”

“Of course I did,” she said as if she did this sort of thing all the time.

Side note: she did not.

“You want something.” I cut to the chase.

She dropped to the floor in front of me and folded her legs underneath her body. “I already told you, I want to hear all about the wedding. Was it romantic? Over the top? Just top enough? Who was there? Those O’Gradys are so private. Were there a lot of people, or was it small? What were their colors? Oh, what kind of flowers did Brooklyn choose? How did Matthew look? Did he harass you? I bet he did.”

She fired off what felt like a thousand questions, and honestly, I wasn’t even sure I could answer them all. I’d been so focused on the cocktails I’d created for the occasion and doing my job that I hadn’t really paid attention to all the minute details.

But, of course, her questions about Matthew were the ones I focused on. I shook my head and almost started laughing at the way she was looking at me. Her eyes were wide, and her cheeks were all rosy. She reminded me of the little girl I’d met all those years ago in elementary school. We were in the same class and played together at recess, and that was all it took. We’d been best friends ever since.

Even when Anna had left Sugar Mountain to go to college for four years, we’d stayed in touch and remained close. Once she graduated though, she came right back home and insisted we move in together. I’d complained for all of five minutes before realizing that if I didn’t move out of my parents’ house, I’d most likely be living with them for the rest of my life.

Rent was expensive. Having a roommate made it feasible.

“Why aren’t you answering me yet?” She looked downright exasperated.

“I don’t know where to start,” I said before blowing out a breath. “It was a really nice wedding. Pretty. Simple. Sweet. I don’t know.”

“Ugh,” she groaned. “I knew you’d be no help. Fine. Was Matthew there?” She wagged her eyebrows at me.

“Of course he was there. He wasinthe wedding.” I made a face that told her that particular question was dumb.

“Did he talk to you?”

I shot her another look. Anna knew all about my feelings for Matthew. She’d been with me through it all. It was embarrassing how many tears I’d cried over that man and how often she’d had to hold me and tell me it would all be okay.

“He talked to me,” I said, dragging out the words that let her know there was far more to the story.

“I always told you he’d regret it one day,” she said with a smug grin on her face. “He’s definitely regretting it now.”

She used to say that Matthew wouldrue the dayhe hurt me at some point in the future. That he’d realize I was a catch and it would be too late because I’d be over him and onto someone else. They were the kinds of things that one girl told another in order to make her feel better, to empower her and give her strength. I wasn’t sure I’d ever believed her words, but I had to admit that they’d helped at the time. Even if it was just a little bit.

“He wants me to take him to look at houses,” I said with a frown before pulling my feet out of the freezing water and putting them on the waiting towel. I quickly wrapped it around my feet and wondered when I’d feel my toes again.

“He wants to go house-shopping? With you? Why? We’re bartenders now.” She smiled as she proclaimed her latest occupation, and I rolled my eyes.

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