Page 34 of Finally Loved

“Alba,” she whined, and Alba couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face.

“Sorry,” she laughed, squeezing Neve tighter. “I’m just teasing.”

“I’m a terrible friend,” she said, finally rolling back.

“You are not. You’re just… navigating an unusual situation.”

“Hm.” She stared at the wall over Alba’s shoulder for a long moment, her brow puckered. When she spoke again, her voicewas so low Alba wasn’t sure the words were meant for her. “I am a terrible adult. Should have just…”

Alba watched her for a moment but wasn’t entirely sure how to help. Distraction had worked before, though. “What’s the deal with Oluwatobi?”

It worked. Neve’s face transformed into something between chagrin and amusement. “Before Charlie and Alice met, I introduced Charlie and Oluwatobi at a… birthday party…”

“Your birthday party,” Alba inserted, knowing she was right from the embarrassed way Neve attempted to skirt around it, as if the poor woman didn’t deserve a birthday party if something went awry at it.

“Indeed.” She twitched her nose adorably. “And, well, Charlie was interested and Oluwatobi… is aromantic.”

“Ah, cool.” Alba paused. “Well, not for Charlie, I suppose.”

“Yeah. He’s not aromantic and interested in a relationship. He’s aromantic and decidedlynotinterested in a relationship. He was very clear that he thought Charlie was lovely, but—”

“But Charlie is Charlie.”

Neve nodded awkwardly. “I guess how she is comes across pretty readily when she’s… not a fan of you.”

Alba laughed. “I’m not afraid of Charlie, don’t worry. I’ve never met anyone I can’t win over.”

“I’m sure you haven’t.”

Alba moved to sit up, propping herself up on one arm, keeping her other draped over Neve. “So, does that mean you’re available for brunch then, because I could really go for some pancakes. You know, maybe without a side of scowling.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

“It’s really okay. I have been scowled at before, believe it or not.”

“I thought you just said you can win anyone over.”

“Yes, and the ones who require the most winning over are the ones who scowl.”

“Oh, right. My mistake.”

“Indeed. You’re going to have to let me buy you brunch to make up for it.”

Neve laughed. “You really don’t have to do that. And I don’t think that’s actually how making things up to someone usually works.”

“I’m the one slighted. I’ll decide on the repentance.”

“I didn’t slight you,” Neve insisted, following Alba up out of the bed.

“I know,” she replied, tilting her head with a wide grin as she held up her pink pants from last night. “But maybe you should be busy worrying about how you’re planning on sneaking me out of the apartment wearing this eye-catching suit.”

Neve groaned and fell backwards onto the bed again, leaving Alba laughing as she set about changing back into said suit.

Chapter 11

As she leaned back against the passenger seat, it occurred to Neve that she’d never let anyone drive her car before. It wasn’t that she was precious about the thing—a decade old with over a hundred and fifty thousand miles on it—but that people seldom ever went places with her driving. She hadn’t realized it before, but, as she thought about it, the afternoon sun shining through the windows and bouncing off the lake they were driving by, she finally realized she was never the default driver.

When she went out with Charlie and Alice, Charlie drove, Alice was in the passenger seat, and Neve was in the back. When she dated, her partners were somehow always the ones driving. She didn’t dislike doing it, she wasn’t bad at it, she just… never got asked. Nobody ever assumed she’d be the one driving. It bothered her now that she thought about it. One person always defaulting to being the driver was their choice, but how was itthat every single person in her life assumed she wouldn’t be driving?

---