Page 70 of Can We Skip to the Good Part?
“Stop it.” Ella grinned. She shook her head, clearing it entirely so she could come at this fresh. “So youdidknow?”
Ariana dropped her chin in pouty sympathy. “Oh, sweet little kitten in a box, the whole book club knows.”
“Seriously? Even sweet, innocent Morgan?” She clapped her forehead with one hand.
“Did you not notice the whispering when you snuck into the laundry room together at Stevie’s?”
The embarrassment swooped and swarmed. “I had no idea you all were aware of that. I need to move to another country by this afternoon.”
“Completely unnecessary. We were rooting for you. The two of you don’t do a good job of hiding how you feel. Max might as well have had little fireworks going off in her eyes every time you walked in the room.”
“And here I thought we were subtle.”
“As a skywriter spelling out ‘Max is my one true love’ above the city.”
“Hold on right there. We’re notin love. Let’s not leap to hyperbole.”
“Fair enough.” Ariana nodded, moving forward. “And so there’s trouble brewing?”
“Brewed. Past tense.”
“Rachel is not happy? Is this one of those girl code things? I never understood them. Everyone should want their friends to be happy as long as they treat everyone else with respect.”
“That’s the problem. I could have been more respectful. I didn’t tell her about my feelings for Max or that we were …”
“Making out in small rooms at book club?”
“Yes, Ari.” She raised her eyebrows and stared at her cup. “That.”
“I kept putting off the moment to tell Rachel everything, and then she saw us kissing.”
“Dammit. I’m so sorry all three of you had to experience that moment.”
“It was awful and not the way I wanted her to find out we were?—”
“On absolute fire for each other.”
Ella closed her eyes. “So many bold statements in this conversation, though I can’t entirely argue with that one,” she said with a sigh. But Ariana was speaking the absolute truth,whether Ella wanted to admit it or not. She and Maxhad beenon fire, and not just in the bedroom. They challenged each other and teased with the best of them. They came with the perfect amount of camaraderie with the right blend of friction built in. And now they were two islands separated by a virtual ocean, and it made Ella want to throw her napkin at the boy playing his guitar badly two tables over. Double justice. “But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss her now that we’re purposefully keeping our distance.”
Ariana frowned, clearly disliking the ending of the story. “What are you going to do about it?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. Because in good conscience, I can’t.”
“This is girl code, right? That’s what’s holding you back from Max.”
“Friendship is another term. But girl code, sure.”
“I get it. I do, but,” Ariana pondered her cappuccino a moment. “At what point, Madam Romantic,” she asked, meeting Ella’s eyes, “does girl code get walloped in the name of love?”
Ella sat with the words, turning them over in her mind. “I think that’s an answer I just don’t have, which is why I need you to call Max about the pop-up and not me. Ari, I’m trying to right my wrong and make the best choice for everyone. Rachel’s the best friend I’ve ever had.”
Ariana’s eyes softened, and her features relaxed in understanding. “I hear you. And I will reach out to Max about leveraging some of her big fish connections.”
“Thank you. I think what we’re doing for Doug could turn into a really good thing. I just want him to be okay again. The light’s gone from his eyes.”
“And what about the light that used to be in yours? Will you be okay again?”
“Yes. I will.” Her resolve weakened. Those very eyes felt hot with the prickle of tears. “I hope so.”
