Page 42 of When Fate Breaks
9
PRESENT DAY
“You have so much explaining to do.”
I climb up into the truck, using the assistant handle as leverage.
“Apparently trust and communication mean nothing to you. Well, I’ll tell you what. You cantrustme to spit straight into your champagne glass before giving my maid of honor toast and tonot communicatethat to you.”
I set my tote bag at my feet, reaching for the seatbelt with one hand and struggling to shut the heavy truck door with the other.
“Also, you’re the worst best friend to ever exist. Do you come with a warranty? Am I too late to trade in?”
“Oh my God. It’s lovely to see you too, Leah,” I retort now that I’ve actually made it into the vehicle.
Leah gives me a look like I’m on some type of drugs before dramatically shifting the truck into drive and peeling out of the parking lot of my office. She doesn’t stay silent for long, continuing her verbal assault the minute we get on the highway.
“I mean, can you really blame me, Annie? You have Blake freaking Di Fazio, a name that may as well have beenVoldemortfor how forbidden we’ve been from speaking it for the last six years, living under your roof fordays, and you don’t think that’s an important little tidbit of information to share with your best friend? Maybe before she stormed into your house and verbally assaulted him? Which, by the way, she wouldn’t have had to do if you would have just answered your freaking phone and let her take you shopping for a freaking dress foryouto wear toyourfreaking wedding shower. And then you leave her hanging for an entire week without a single detail? I mean honestly, Annie, do you know how insane I’ve been going?”
“Oh, I think I have an idea.”
“This is not funny, you rat,” she shouts when she sees me holding back a laugh, lightly swatting at me.
“I know and I’m sorry. I just…wasn’t sure what to say?”
I can feel Leah’s eyes burning a hole in the side of my head. “Seriously?” she exclaims. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe something along the lines of:Oh, hi, Leah. Light of my life. Knower of all. Baddest of bitches–”
“Okay, I get it–”
“Remember how I just moved into a new house? And remember how it had a greenhouse in the backyard and how I was thinking of fixing it up? Well, I finally remembered that my childhood star-crossed lover is a big, sexy, delicious smelling freaking greenhouse architect lumberjack and that the only possible answer would be to fly him across the country to shack up with me and my fiancé for weeks while he fixes it–’”
“Okay, that is not at all how it went–” I break off, realizing, in some minor ways, that is somewhat exactly how it went. Leah takes notice, but I continue. “Okay, maybe a tiny bit. But he’s not a lumberjack. And I’m not sure how his smell is relevant.”
“Annie. Have youseenthe flannel on that boy? And his smell,” Leah pauses, “I know I don’t need to tell you why that’s relevant.”
My mouth falls open. “You’re crazy.” I shake my head and turn to look out the window.
“No, Annie.You’recrazy. About him! You have been since we were kids. You know it and I know it, so why won’t you just admit it?”
“Because we’re not kids anymore.” I turn back to her, exasperated. “And as you just pointed out, I have a littleweddingcoming up.” Leah’s lips purse as she glances to the side at me. “He’s here to fix the greenhouse because he’s the best person for the job. That’s it.”
Leah is having one of her rare silent moments, which means she’s thinking more things than she could possibly say. When she does this, I usually end up word vomiting until she gets the answer or information she’s looking for. But that’s not going to happen this time.
Seconds turn into minutes and Leah doesn’t say a word as we continue down the highway. After bobbing my knee enough times for my thigh to start cramping and chewing my bottom lip until I nearly taste blood, I finally let out a sharp sigh. “Is it a crime if I maybe didn’t hate the idea of seeing an old friend again?”
Leah’s lips pull up at the corners.
She got me again, dammit.
“No, hon. Not at all. Blake’s great. And I’m sure he’s the absolute best when it comes to fixing that greenhouse. I’m just worried for you. Both of you.”
“Why?”
Leah raises her brows at me. “You know why.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“What was, exactly?”
