Page 60 of One Last Time
I hate when they’re right. I hate it even more that I did for Heather what they are doing for me now, and I don’t want it. “Still, I’mtired.”
Heather shrugs. “Slumber party itis!”
There are no boundaries with this group. We don’t care if someone wants to be alone or wallow in self-pity, we’ll just join in without an invitation. The kids are with my parents for the weekend, and they aren’t leaving, so I might as well make the best ofit.
We grab the bottles of wine and park our asses on the couch. For the first hour, we talk about plans for Heather’s wedding, which is in a little over two weeks. She got engaged a few days ago, seriously Eli is ridiculous with being so good to her, and I try to focus on how happy I am for her. Each detail she shares about the things he’s doing allows little pieces of sorrow to creep in. She’s my best friend, whom I love more than I can say and who deserves to be happy, but I wish I weren’t so newlysingle.
“I still can’t believe you’re getting married in less than a month and then moving to Canada!” Danielle shakes herhead.
“I know, it’s insane, but Eli got the movie role and I want to be withhim.”
“I’d want to be with him, too,” Nicole addson.
I bob my head in agreement. “For real. Don’t let a man like him out of yoursight.”
Danielle raises her glass. “It’s like when I decided that I should go to college away from Eddie. Big mistake. Beginning of theend.”
Here we go again. Danielle, when she drinks, talks about her ex, who she swears was her literal soulmate. The one God hand-picked for her and as a punishment for not being nice to him, sent himaway.
“Oh, for the love of God!” Nicole bursts out laughing. “You know he’s married with kids and . . . so are you! You were that whacko who would’ve married him when you werefifteen.”
“At least when I was fifteen I could’ve married someone,” Dannicounters.
And then the fight between Nicole and Danielle begins while Heather and I shake ourheads.
The conversation shifts for the next hour as we laugh about the stupid things we did when we were young. I don’t know how these stories never get old, but theydon’t.
“Do you think Mrs. Yoder still has nightmares about Nicole?” Danni asks. “That poor woman retired from teaching afteryou.”
“She was crazy! She needed someone to show her that she was losing her damnmind.”
Heather waves her hand and bounces. “What about when Nicole got caught having sex with Mr. Fink under thestairs!”
I laugh, snorting wine from my nose. “Oh my God! I forgot about that. I really hope you got an A in physics. I mean, you earned thatshit.”
“Why are all these stories about me? Oh, wait, because I’m the one who actually does shit that’s story worthy.” Nicole pulls her knee to her chest. “Unlike you boringasses.”
She’s always been the one doing crazy things, but she makes no apologies forit.
“Calm down, Scary Spice.” Heather sighs. “We’ve all done our fair share of stupidcrap.”
“Hell yeah, you all have! I’ve got stories because when you three do something, guess who you call? Me. You call me, so I knowallyoursecrets.”
The three of us look at each other with wide eyes. What the hell have they done that I don’t knowabout?
Nicole bursts out laughing as we study each other. “I love you guys so much. Let’s find out what we really want to know.” She grabs my hand. “How bad did Scott have topay?”
They let me go this long without questions, I guess it’s time to fill them in on the drama that today was. I recount the divorce hearing for them, loving the faces they make. It’s still a little surreal to think he tried to accuse me of cheating on him. There isn’t a chance that he believes thatshit.
“I’m so glad we’re never going to have to be around Asshole anymore,” Nicole says as she props her feet on the coffee table. “I really would like to chop his nutsoff.”
“Seriously, maybe he and Matt will become best friends.” Heathergiggles.
I drain another glass of wine before refilling it again. “Well, I still have to deal with him every other weekend. I’m sure he’ll parade Jillian around now that we’re divorced and he can throw it in myface.”
The more I drink, the more I realize how much I hate him. He is a prick for trying to screw me out of money like that. I left the damn house. I never said a word about his slutty secretary he was banging. I didn’t ask for jack shit, and he feels like I’m entitled to nothing after fourteen years of marriage? Fuckthat.
“Don’t worry about her, honey, you’ve got Noah Frazier sticking his tongue in your holes!” Nicole laughs and slaps myleg.
