Page 28 of Thanks for the Friendship
I sit down on an outdoor couch with my phone and curl my legs under me. I watch as AJ joins Theo and a few other guys. They all hold up their drinks to toast Theo.
Off to the side, Sara and Cal are leaning into each other and neither of them looks happy. I quickly look away so they don’t catch me staring. When I finally look at my phone, I have a message waiting for me from Jordan.
Paul invited me on the boat tomorrow. He told me you’d be there. I can skip if it makes you more comfortable.
I groan. I don’t want him to feel like we can’t be around each other, especially because we have a lot of the same friends. I send a quick reply.
No, please don’t miss it because of me. See you tomorrow.
I don’t mind him being there. In fact, it might make it easier if everyone sees that we’re still friends. I’d rather get it out in the open, and maybe that will keep the rumors to a minimum.
* * *
“Well, that party turned out to be more exciting than I expected,” Reagan says, falling down on the couch next to me. All of the guests have left, and Gabby walked Theo next door.
“That’s for sure. I don’t think any of us expected a big public proposal,” I say. Even Sara didn’t know if it was happening tonight, unless she was lying about that.
Reagan starts talking about wedding plans while I’m trying to decide if it’s the right time to tell her that my parents want to sell the house.
“Things with Jeremy seem to be going very well,” I say. “You two are so cute.”
Her face lights up like a Christmas tree. “Sometimes I can’t believe that we’re together.”
“Well, enjoy every second of it,” I say, patting her on the hand.
She gives me a curious look. “I noticed that you talked to Cal a lot tonight.”
The mention of Cal reminds me how he reacted when I asked about AJ. I need to ask Gabby what she knows about him.
“A little. I guess there’s a level of comfort with him because we’ve known each other for so long.”
She nods. “I get it. Are you sure that’s it?”
I hear the french door open. “Hello.”
“In here,” I yell.
Gabby walks in, a huge smile spread across her face.
“There’s the bride-to-be,” I announce.
She sits down between Reagan and me and lets out a huge sigh. She holds out her left hand and bursts into tears. And I don’t think they’re happy tears. Well, that definitely wasn’t the reaction I was expecting.
Chapter Nine
“It’s been an exciting night,” Reagan says, handing Gabby a glass of water.
Gabby nods before blowing her nose into a tissue I brought her.
“I’ve never been so happy, scared, and overwhelmed in my life,” Gabby says, her voice shaking. “I know I want to marry Theo, but I’m terrified. My last engagement was a disaster, and I’m worried I might fail again. What if I get cold feet and hurt Theo? I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”
“You won’t, and this is completely different,” I remind her. “Theo isn’t that horrible Dustin.”
She holds a pillow tightly to her chest. “You’re right. He’s nothing like Dustin.”
“If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s to be happy in every moment,” I insist. “This should be the best time in your life, so embrace it and don’t let the past ruin it for you.”
“I agree, and it’s okay to be cautious,” Reagan adds. “What happened to you is traumatic, and I’m sure Theo knows that.”
