Page 49 of Catching Our Moment
“Riley,” Grace interrupted.
“Riley was the only reason you couldn’t think about him as more than a friend,” Aliya said.
I shifted in my seat and took a sip of my very hot chai. Blowing on it for what felt like a full minute while I contemplated how to get out of this corner, I relented.
“It’s not like that,” I whispered, and even I heard how weak it was.
Aliya smiled softly at me. “Honey. We all know what it’s like. We always have.
“Don’t push,” Grace whispered to her.
Aliya waved her off. “Listen, you and he have never been able to get this together.” She reached out and took my hand. “You two have a connection that is so rare, so incredible. People spend a lifetime looking for it. Your timing has always just sucked.”
“What Aliya is trying to say is you are both older now. You are both here. Why not…explore…”
I picked up my drink again then said very slowly so they could understand me, “He has a girlfriend.”
Aliya leaned forward and added, “She’s not here.” Aliya leaned back, cocking an eyebrow. “She chose to leave him. And in this condition. Shame on her.”
Grace scowled and said, “Bitch.”
Aliya’s phone pinged.
“Moving on…I think I’m going to get a chocolate croissant.” I stood up, but Aliya grabbed my hand and jerked me back down to my chair.
Staring at her phone, she said, “Your excuse about Shaw having a girlfriend may have just flown out the door.”
“Aliya, I told you?—”
“His girlfriend has finally gotten her wish and has gone viral.” She showed us her phone and the gossip column that she had pulled up. Right there, for everyone to see, was a snapshot of Shaw’s girlfriend in a passionate embrace with another man. “She’s hooking up with one of the guys on that reality show she’s on,” Aliya blurted.
Grace gasped, and her hand was over her mouth. “Oh, poor Shaw. Do you think he knows?”
“I’m going to kill her,” I growled out without even thinking about it. “That self-centered skank.” My hands balled into fists on the table. “They couldn’t talk for the three months she’s been gone. It’s part of her contract. They are supposedly cut off from their friends and family and social media. Clearly, that’s not the case. Someone leaked this. She’s not important enough for paparazzi to be paying for it.”
“But Shaw might be. Him being cheated on would be news,” said Aliya.
“And this type of juicy gossip is good for the show’s PR.” I palmed my face. “He doesn’t need this right now.”
Grace’s hand went over mine. “Do you think he will see this?”
“His people will, which means he will.” I grabbed my phone to see if I’d received any messages. Would he reach out to me about this?
Grace leaned forward. “This is fantastic news. Then he can break up with her, and you can swoop in to console him.”
I reared back. “No. What planet did you come from?”
“For fuck’s sake, Kelcie, would you just hook up with that man and get it out of both of your systems? At least kiss him and see if this sexual chemistry that has been choking all of us is for real.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and tilted up my chin. I was not going down that path with them. “Actually, I was coming to talk to you two about something else, but now I don’t think I want to tell you. You are going to take the wind out of my sails.”
“Oh, tell us. I promise we will be good,” Grace said, sitting forward.
Aliya eyed me but was quiet.
I held my cup and carefully rotated it as I took my time deciding how to say this. “I have a date.”
They both perked up. “What? Who?”
