Page 132 of Sincerely, Your Enemy

I can’t blame them, though.

Hell, I’d pity me, too.

Dia was there when it happened, and then she stayed with me while I cried my heart out until late last night, but Aveena didn’t come to the party, so I’m guessing Dia filled her in.

Aveena confirms it by saying, “Dia told me everything.”

“We thought you could use a pick-me-up,” Dia says.

Tears start to brim in my eyes, gratitude overwhelming me as I step aside and open the door wider.

The snacks they were holding hit the ground as soon as they cross the threshold, and the girls open their arms for a group hug. I don’t hesitate, breaking out into sobs before walking straight into their embrace.

“We love you,” Aveena says mid-hug, and I inhale a shaky breath, hoping to calm myself down.

I might be cursed when it comes to love, but you can’t say I don’t have some damn good friends.

“This shit keeps falling off,”Aveena says before giving up and removing the cucumbers from the face mask she’s wearing. She takes a big bite out of one and turns to Dia, who’s painting the nails on my right hand black.

I figured it was fitting. Seeing as my heart feels like it’s been burned to a crisp.

“How are we doing over there?” Aveena asks.

“Just a few more minutes,” Dia says.

“Good. ’Cause I’m starving. And we’re out of ice cream,” Aveena reminds us.

I chuckle. “Or so you’ve said.”

This girl has a bottomless pit for a stomach when pregnant, I’m telling you.

“All done,” Dia declares a heartbeat later, releasing my hand and setting the black nail polish down on the living room’s coffee table.

I thought the girls showing up with half a store in snacks was adorable. What I didn’t anticipate is that they’d bring over every beauty and self-care item they own.

Face masks, under-eye patches, nail polishes, lip scrubs. You name it, we have it.

“Now are you ready to talk about TJ, or are you just going to keep pretending like you’re fine?” Dia calls me out.

She’s right. I’ve been in denial since they got here. I spent the first fifteen minutes after I burst into tears trying to get myself together, and by the time I managed to dry my eyes, I had no energy left to rehash the situation with TJ. I asked them if we could talk about anything else to get my mind off it.

I cringe. “Talking about it only makes it hurt more.”

“At first, maybe, but it’ll feel much better in the long run,” Dia points out.

Maybe she’s onto something.

“Have you been answering his million text messages?” Aveena questions.

Wait.

I never told them he’d been spamming my phone.

“How do you know he texted me?”

Aveena and Dia exchange knowing glances.

“TJ’s been blowing up our phones, begging us to convince you to talk to him. He mentioned he’d been trying to reach you,” Dia fesses up.

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