Page 104 of Rest In Pink

“That was just fear,” Molly said, picking up her ice cream spoon. “I can lose a lot of people but I can’t lose you. And now I’ve told all the adults I need to, so . . .” She took a deep breath. “ . . . time for ice cream.”

“Molly, we’re thirty-three.We’readults.”

“You know what I mean.” She started to spoon ice cream. “Oh, my God, this is good.”

“Yeah,” I said, trying to figure out how to say the next part.

She looked at me and her smile faded. “What?”

“You’ve got one more person to tell.”

She swallowed. “Who?”

“Mac.”

“He won’t care.”

I sighed. “He won’t care that you’re gay. He’ll care that you’ll never love him.”

“Of course, I love him. He’s my best friend next to you.”

“Molly.”

She closed her eyes. “I never led him on.”

“Every time you smiled, you led him on. He just has to know it’s not happening so he can find somebody else.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

“So,” I said to change the subject. “What do you think about Kitty’s suggestion to talk to Raina?”

“I think yes,” Molly said and smiled, still a little trembly.

“Hello,” I said, smiling back.

“After you and Vince left, we started talking,” Molly said.

“Talking.”

“She’s a really good kisser,” Moll said, and I laughed out loud.

“Youslut,” I said, delighted. “You justmether.”

“Yeah, this was just a kiss. How long did it take Vince to get you into bed?”

“A day and a half.” I grinned because she was smiling. Like she had a great secret. “But I had an excuse. I’d been hit by a rock. I was dazed.”

Molly rolled her eyes and scooped more ice cream, and I went back to my own side of the booth and stopped crying and ate my ice cream and we discussed sex and the timing thereof.

And she looked happier than she had in years.

And I will kneecap anybody who tries to take that away from her.

Chapter Forty-Nine

“Why are you bringing that?” Rain asked me, indicating Navy’s briefcase as I got out of the Gladiator. I was parked behind her in front of Margot’s house.

“A prop for negotiating.”

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