Page 12 of Enemies, Lovers & A Valentine's Baby

I can’t help the grin that comes with the reminder of just how much I’ve missed Sue. She’s been away for two months now, but at least this is the last trip for a while.

Stretching in my seat, I decide to heat up some leftover pizza for lunch.

Leaning against the wall of my kitchen, I count down the seconds on the microwave till my food is ready. A quick glance at the clock lets me know that I still have fifteen minutes before I have to head to the airport.

Trying to kill some time, I start making myself a cup of lemon tea to go with the leftovers.

I glance around the kitchen loving the feeling of coziness that it gives me. It might sound weird to someone else, but it gives me a sense of comfort, almost like a hug. It’s my favorite place to be. Wooden cabinets stretch along one wall, while the granite countertop and fridge fit snugly against each other, like they were meant to be. The sink and stove sit right in the middle of everything, making it easy to move between them. Copper pots hang above, catching the light, as the smell of basil, thyme, and oregano drifts in from the windowsill.

I was one of the lucky few to get into this apartment complex. It’s owned by a wealthy Boston family foundation who’s vowed to keep the rent controlled. I’m grateful for this because although I own my business that’s growing every year, it’s certainly not bringing in the big bucks. This may be small, but it’s perfect for me.

I mean it’s not as if I have a husband and k—

The kettle starts to whistle, thankfully pulling me back from that road I was starting to go down. I grab a cup from thecupboard, pour myself a cup of tea, and walk over to my small dining table with the steaming beverage in my hand.

I sit for a few minutes trying to keep my mind occupied, doing a mental check of my list that I need to get done. Laundry, groceries. My eyes settle on a flickering lightbulb overhead. I really need to get that fixed.

The clinking sound of my metal spoon against the porcelain teacup echoes loudly in the empty space. I take a sip and close my eyes, the sense of loneliness I’ve been trying to keep at arm’s length breaking through, hitting me like a ton of bricks.

I take a deep breath. I’ve always been the biggest believer in love. I’ve convinced myself that when the time was right, everything would naturally fall into place, but it’s getting harder and harder to hold on to that conviction, because love is certainly taking its time.

I’m turning forty in a few months, and there are zero romantic prospects in my life.

Being single has certainly afforded its own privileges, but sometimes—times like this when the emptiness of my own home threatens to swallow me whole, the quiet of it all driving me halfway to insanity, I’m forced to contemplate my decisions.

After taking some time to regroup after the debacle at Sue and Greg’s wedding, I doubled down and instead of being a general event planner, I transitioned to strictly weddings, anniversaries, and baby showers. It’s kept me busy falling in love with other people’s love so much so that I never really had the time to be lonely.

I finally admit to myself that maybe I’ve been using it as my crutch.

In times like this, the idea of having a partner seems even more appealing than usual. I wonder if—.

The shrill sound of my phone ringing on the table beside me jolts me back to reality. Sue’s name flashes across the screen.

“Hi, best friend.” I smile, already anticipating the warmth of her familiar voice.

“Hi, honey, we landed early. I hate to bother you, I know you’re prob—”

“Say no more.” I’m already pushing back my barely drunk cup of tea and standing to my feet.

“I’m leaving right now. This time of the day it should take me less than twenty minutes,” I finish, grabbing my keys off the table.

“Okay,” she says right before I hang up.

I rush over to my car, speeding out of my driveway.

Seventeen minutes later, I pull into the arrival section. Sue is waiting for me at the same spot she has every time I’ve come to pick her up from the airport.

I get out to meet her, and my face breaks into a wide smile as soon as my eyes land on her honey brown ones. Her own grin covers her entire face. I run straight into her arms, wrapping her tightly in a warm embrace. She smells like spicy vanilla, just the way she always has. My body relaxes against hers, my grip around her getting even tighter.

It’s only been two months, but it feels much longer. We finally pull apart, both of us grinning like teenagers.

“Sue.”

“Lila,” she whispers at the name, “I’ve missed you so much,” she says, taking my face in her hands, studying me intently as I do her. I’ve always loved how her big, brown eyes look like a pool of chocolate, the soft crinkles around them from her ever-present laughter enhancing them even more. Her long, dark hair is piled on top of her head in a disheveled bun, the result of several hours on the plane. Her skin has a radiant glow. I have no idea how she never looks tired, even after a long plane ride.

Sue has been my best friend since high school, and we’d do anything for each other.

“You’re so beautiful, sweetheart,” she says in that motherlike tone she always seems to have reserved specifically for me. I inwardly smile. Sue has always been the grownup, even when we were teenagers.

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