Page 18 of Curvy Love

They all tell her it’s nice to meet her and try to rope her into going on a group mani/pedi trip to the spa, which somehow she manages to avoid committing to. Then I’m walking her to her car. I bracket her between my arms so she’s leaning against her car door, facing me.

I kiss her, not caring at all that my sisters are probably plastered to the front windows watching us like the nosy creepers they are.

“I had a really great time,” I tell her.

“Me too.”

“I’ll text you or call you, yeah?”

“Sure. Anytime.” Then she gets in her car and drives away and I can’t help but feel like she thinks this is all over.

chapterseven

Laurel

I’ve been home long enough to take a shower and get dressed when my laptop beeps with an incoming video call. No doubt, my sisters, since they’re the only ones who call me like that. My hair is still up in a towel when I sit at my desk and answer the call.

Their faces appear—together again—and they smile expectantly at me.

“So?” Willow asks.

“How was it?” Paisley asks.

I grin because I have zero chill and can’t hide anything from them.

“OMG you had sex with him!” Willow says.

“Yeah, she did,” Paisley says. “And from the look of that smile and the love bite over your left tit, I’d say it was pretty good sex.”

I glance down and see the hickey my sister mentioned that I had somehow not seen yet.

“So when are you going to see him again?” Willow asks.

I shake my head. “I’m not. I don’t think. I told y’all it was just for the wedding and we just got wrapped up in pretending. One-night stand and all that.” I wave my hand dismissively.

I may lack chill, but even I know better than get dewy-eyed about a guy like Alex. He is super-hot and totally charming. A one-night stand may be a rare occurrence for me, but I’m pretty sure that was his typical Saturday.

“What did he say?” Paisley asks.

“He said he’d call or text.” I shrug. “It’s really not a big deal. We hardly know each other.” But even as I say the words, I know none of them are true.

Itisa big deal.

To me anyway. I feel like I know him so well and that he knows me, that he sees me.

Logically, I know that’s not true. I refuse to let myself get caught up in that fantasy. I’m smarter than that.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t be a little sad that it’s over. That’s how it goes with me. I’m just not the girl that men want to keep.

“Did you tell him you wanted to go out again?” Willow asks.

‘It’s not that simple, Will,” I say.

“I know I’m young and y’all think I’m naive, but it really is that simple. The worst thing he can do is tell you no. But there’s no reason not to go after what you want. You deserve that. You deserve all the good things, Laurel.”

My baby sister’s words make tears prick my eyes. “Thanks. I love y’all. Listen, I’ve got to go study for a final. But we’ll talk later, okay?” I don’t really give them a chance to argue, instead I just close the video chatting app.

It is sweet that they think it could be that simple. I’m just more practical than they are.

---