Page 42 of Pinky Promises

Chapter 17

Brynn

“TellmeagainwhyI agreed to do an early morning Pilates session the day after getting back from my honeymoon?” Lexi pants, out of breath as she lies spread out on her mat. She resembles a sweaty starfish.

“Umm, I hardly call a noon class ‘early morning,’” I chuckle.

“Well, I’m still on Hawaii time. It’s early.” Do I remind her that it was her idea? What was it she said, again?“I need to work off all the food I ate in paradise.”

“Don’t ever quote me because I will deny it, but you won’t ever hear me complaining,” Hadley says, entirely out of character as she rolls up her mat. Lexi and I both jerk toward her in shock. “It gave me a reason to be out of the house… alone. Don’t get me wrong, I love my daughter, but I also love having ‘me time.’ Since I left the salon and only doing side gigs, I barely get much ‘just me’ moments except when Olivia naps.”

“Holy shit, I never thought I’d see the day that Hadley Kincaid is happy about exercising.”

“Maybe she’s turning over a new leaf,” Lexi teases as she finally peels herself off the floor.

“Hey, I love exercising. Asher and I love to get our cardio on.” She winks. “If you know what I mean.”

“Anddddd, she’s back to being the same old Hadley we know and love.” Lexi smacks Hadley on the ass as she passes.

“Do you guys want to hit the cafe upstairs, or would you rather go somewhere else?” On the top floor of the gym is a cafe surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the city below. It’s a major perk to working here because I don’t have to go very far when I need a pick-me-up between classes.

“Ooo, the cafe! I’m craving one of their peanut butter cup protein smoothies.” Lexi’s eyes light up like a damn Christmas tree.

“Craving, huh?” I tease as we walk out the studio door toward the elevator.

“No, I’m not pregnant! We just got married.”

“Who says you need to get married to have a kid,” Hadley says and raises her hand. “Case in point right here.”

“Touché. No more Harrington babies just yet.” The key word there isyet.I can see the longing in her eyes.

I’m first to grab a table while the girls are still in line getting their food and smoothie. Looking out at the Willow Creek skyline, it’s hard to remember the girl I was years ago when I first arrived in the city as a freshman at WCU. This city was too easy to fall in love with. I’m too busy staring outside that I don’t hear the girls talking to me until I feel a sharp pinch on my arm.

“Ow,” I yelp.

“Were you even listening?”

“No?” I question as if I don’t know whether I was paying attention or not.

“She was probably thinking about ‘that dick.’” Hadley cracks up, giving her best Paul Rudd impression.

“It’s not like that with us.” Honestly, I don’t even know what it is anymore. My mind has been such a mess lately. Anxieties began to take over on the way home, throwing everywhat-ifout there. I’ve spent time out of the apartment to really think of what I want because every time I’m around Callum, memories of that night and the following day overpower me, and all I want to do is jump him, beg him to put his hands on me.

Things shouldn’t be this complicated, yet they are. Is it as easy as just saying yes?

“So, what, he just tripped and fell in your vagina?”

“I mean, Cal can be clumsy,” Lexi smirks. Out of the four of us, Cal is the least clumsy.

“No, things with us are—complicated.” I didn’t mean to shout it.

“Okay, so how about we talk it out and uncomplicate it.”

“Couldn’t we just talk about how the honeymoon was and hear all the sordid details of how much crazy sex you and Ben had? I mean, did you go at all on your honeymoon without his dick in your vagina?”

I probably should’ve made sure no one was drinking or eating when I said that. Oops.

“Holy fuck, warn a girl next time before you say something like that.” She reaches for a napkin to clean up her spilled smoothie. “Also, we will talk about that, but I also experienced that. And let’s not forget that I wasn’t the one who dropped the major bombshell of ‘oh hey, I finally slept with my best friend after my friends have been telling me just do it for years’ the morning my best friend was leaving on her honeymoon and wouldn’t have any contact with her friends for the next week because her loving husband planned this amazing trip for her. Hence, she had to wait an entire week to hear any details.” By the time she spits all of that out, and I’m pretty sure it was all in one breath, she dramatically falls back into the chair and pretends to pass out.

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