Page 39 of Keeping London (Flawed Heart)

I wipe my wet face with my shirt before I start to laugh.

“What?” Paige asks.

“Sometimes, you are the smartest person I know, and then other times…you make absolutely no sense. What would I do without you?” I say with a chuckle.

“Well, clearly, you’d be lost.” Paige winks. “Listen, you go shower while I pick up supplies. What do you feel like tonight? Chinese?”

“No, I think pizza. You know that deep dish one with the extra buttery crust from our favorite place? Oh, and don’t forgot the extra ranch to dip it in.”

“Nice. We’re not playing around tonight!” Paige looks down at her attire. “So, I’m going to change out of these snot rags really quick, and then I’ll head out. When I come back, I want you showered, in your comfiest clothes, and ready for a night of feeling sorry for ourselves. Got it?”

“Got it.” I nod, feeling more human than I have all day.

I dip the garlic-buttered goodness into the container of homemade ranch and practically moan when it hits my mouth. I might have to go on a walk or something tomorrow to counter my calorie intake tonight, but it’s so worth it.

Paige and I sit atop my bed in our jammies with the menu screen forThe Notebookplaying on repeat on the TV screen.

Paige takes a sip of wine before asking, “So, Sarah’s there?”

“I know,” I sigh dejectedly. “I hate it. I know I shouldn’t, but I do.”

“I get it.” Paige gives me a knowing nod.

“Right? I mean, yeah, they’re friends, family, whatever…but she’s a woman. There’s history there. I hate that his last night stateside is being spent with her. It should be with me. It just pisses me off.” I shake my head. “I’m not mad at Loïc. First, he didn’t know she was coming, and second…he doesn’t get it anyway. But Sarah is another story. She should know better.”

“Exactly. She definitely broke some sort of girl code by showing up there. I don’t care what their history is,” Paige agrees. “You don’t think anything will happen, do you?”

Biting my lip, I ponder for a moment. “No, I don’t. I can’t see Loïc cheating on me. I believe in what we have, and I trust that he cares for Sarah only as a friend. But that doesn’t mean I’m not jealous as hell that she gets to be with him tonight, and I don’t. I told you what her last name is, right?”

“No.” Paige shakes her head. “I don’t know her last name.”

“It’s Berkeley!” I almost shout.

“What?” Paige shrieks.

“Yeah, last week, he got a text from her, and I saw her name come up on his phone asSarah Berkeley. I questioned him about it, and he said that, when they first ran away together, she told him that she was taking his last name. I guess she hated hers or had bad memories from it or something. Loïc doesn’t even know her original last name.”

“So, she, like, legally changed it or something?”

“I guess.” I shrug. “I think it’s weird. Their closeness already makes me uncomfortable, and to top it off, they share a last name.”

“I suppose you could just think of her as his sister. I mean, siblings share last names, right?”

“Yeah, I didn’t think about it like that. He does say she’s like a sister to him.”

“There you go! Well, anyway…I’m sure today will be the worst of it for you. You’ll get better at being apart from Loïc. You’ll find a new normal where you won’t miss him so much.”

“I sure hope so. I can’t take too many more days like today.”

“Plus, maybe this time apart will even strengthen your relationship. You know what they say.Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

I grin. “Aw, look at you, making all sorts of sense.”

“When I’ve got it, I’ve got it.” Paige looks smug.

“You’re such a dork.” I giggle.

Loïc

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