Page 209 of We Can't Be Friends

“Yeah. I had the realization when I was visiting Aaron that life is too short to not be doing what makes me happy. I don’t care to be twenty-nine and starting over. I’m already going to need a new permanent place to stay, why not find a new job too.”

“Chloe, you are confusing me.”

“My apartment is fixed.” Cal’s eyes flare. Shit, wrong thing to say and wrong timing. “Oh, no. I, uh, I got out of my lease. Jonathan let me out of it. So, I need to stay a little longer if you want a roomie.”

“I wouldn’t let you leave if you tried.”

“Possessive.”

“Only of what’s mine.” He tickles my sides, and I giggle.

Floating on this lighter, freer side of me. The darker, rougher version of me is still there, but she’s morphed with the old me. Finding my sparkle and using it to ignite this new version of me.

“Yours.”

“I haven’t lost my virginity because I don’t lose,” Cal reads. He starts kissing down my body, pulling up my shirt that has him laughing.

“These are mine.” He kisses across my braless chest. “And this.” His lips are warm against my skin, his color and warmth back. “Ready to become a loser, Henry?”

Cal changes our position, pushing me into the couch as he rolls my spandex shorts down, underwear with it. He doesn’t await a response before he’s making paintings with his tongue.

“If you keep doing that,” I moan, back arching off the couch. “I’d be considered a winner.”

60

CHLOE

Tucker’s tongue hangs out the side of his mouth. He drops his orange and blue ball onto the grass in front of my feet.

I bend down to pick it up. He starts dancing—or that’s what I call it. His four paws bounce in place, butt and tail circling like a helicopter. Throwing his ball, he’s off after it.

Sliding my hand in my back pocket, I pull out my buzzing phone.

“Hey, Adler. Please tell me you are calling to say you found an apartment and are moving sooner.”

Whilst I was in London, my childhood best friend, Adler, was interviewing for a teaching job here in Chicago. I missed her by a day, but she called to tell me she was offered a reading specialist position and was moving here. I was elated, still am.

“Yes, but something even better. I know it’s barely been forty-eight hours since you quit your job, but I have an offer for you.”

When Monday morning rolled around, I wasted no time after Emerson and I had our weekly coffee date. I waltzed into Michael’s office and quit with no notice. Boxed up my office and left. Not without a quick stop in Tamara’s to give her a snarky finger wave.

The look on both of their faces was priceless.

I called Ryan when I got home and he tried to jump through the phone to hug me. He cried tears of joy.

“Okay?” I ask hesitantly.

“Everything is happening fast, but I was offered a spot yesterday on the local skating academy’s board. They wanted me to coach,but I’m not sure if I’m ready for that yet. When they asked if I knew of anyone else, I thought of you.”

I’m silent.

“Chloe?”

“I’m here.”

“This is what you want, yeah?”

“Yeah, it is.” I throw Tucker’s ball. “Can you send over the job posting?” My excitement tangos with nerves, a need to question if this is happening.

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