Page 2 of Love Among Vines

“Never have I ever…” Camila paused. Her neatly coiffed hair had started to come undone. “Let a man use the back door.”

Kenya and Ashley drank.

“Jade, I’m surprised you haven’t,” Camila slurred. “Back door is likesucha thing for Nate.”

Jade jerked back like Camila had slugged her with her Prada purse.

Camila slapped a hand to her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she said, suddenly more refined. “I don’t know why I said that.”

“I told you that in confidence,” Ashley said with a panicked look at Jade.

Jade jumped up. “I’m going to get everyone some water. We’ll need to be hydrated for the hike tomorrow.”

Her heart hammered in her chest as she rounded the corner and entered a gargantuan kitchen that looked like it had never been used. The last thing she needed was more details on Ashley and Nate’s sex life. Her fists clenched as she held back the memories that threatened to flood out.

Penny tip-tapped into the kitchen and nosed her hand.

Jade offered her a quick pat and went back to opening cabinets. Where the hell were the stupid water glasses?

Abandoning the search, she wrenched the fridge door open. She paused, hand halfway to a row of bottled water. There on the second shelf was the chocolate milk she had grabbed at a gas station on the outskirts of town. Her heart rate inched up another notch.

This random-ass chocolate milk was touted as the best in the state. Could this be the solution to two years of crippling painter’s block? Or would it be another useless attempt on the list of fifty-plus failed solutions? She had meant to try it before bed when she could focus. But if this chocolate milk brought hermuse back, at least she’d have something to talk about with the unending stream of Nate’s pitying relatives.

She twisted the cap off and took a swig. The creamy liquid flowed over her tongue. It was damn good. But would it be enough?

She yanked her sketchbook out of her purse and closed her eyes, clenching a pencil so tightly in her hand that her fingers hurt. She put the tip to the paper and waited.

Waves of inspiration used to come to her from everywhere and nowhere. After hearing a beautiful song, or tasting a loaf of freshly baked bread, or even after spotting a couple sharing an umbrella in the rain. An errant gym sock on a nature trail had once inspired a series of six paintings. Inspiration was everywhere. So why the hell had it abandoned her so completely?

Nothing had been the same since the incident. She was a hollow, dried-up husk of her former self. She had stared at a hundred sunsets, tasted a thousand new and exotic foods, and spent just about every cent she had left looking for an experience that would unlock this crippling block. And nothing had.

“Jade? You good?”

A soft voice startled her. Her eyes flew open to find Kenya looking at her, brows contracted as she leaned against the kitchen island.

“Hey! Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry. I was just trying something.”

Her face was hot. She wasn’t doing a good job at hiding her emotions.

Laughter rang out from the den. Were they laughing at her?

“You don’t need to explain anything to me. I know an artist’s work is very mysterious…and apparently sometimes involves dairy.” Kenya bent down to pet Penny, who rolled onto her back and exposed her belly.

Jade smiled but couldn’t summon the inspiration for a proper response. She wasn’t really an artist anymore.

“I just wanted to check on you. Overall, I mean,” Kenya added. “I know this is a weird situation.”

She grimaced. “It’s fine. I don’t hold any ill will towards Ashley. She’s one of my oldest friends.”

“Sure. Doesn’t change what she did, though.” Kenya glanced over her shoulder, voice barely more than a whisper.

Jade’s stomach twinged. The chocolate milk sloshed angrily. “I know from experience how easy it is to get caught up in Nate.”

Kenya crossed her arms and stared out the dark window. “You’re a better woman than me. If my best friend stole my boyfriend, I’d never talk to that bitch again.”

Was Kenya digging for dirt? Or maybe this was some weird friendship test? Either way, Jade wasn’t prepared to discuss her messy breakup.

“Yeah. Well. Nate and I just weren’t meant to be. But anyway, let’s not let that distract us from the party atmosphere. We’re all here to celebrate Ashley,” she said with a smile that hopefully looked genuine.