Page 35 of Her Second Chance

“Are you sure? Because it sort of seems like you are. What if he’s the one?” She’s always been team Brock, so her insistence that he’s my soulmate doesn’t surprise me.

“Enough about guys. I declare a girls’ night.” I say that knowing she has to cancel all plans and stay home with me. It was something we agreed to the first week we met. We also promised to never abuse it. If I remember correctly, this is the first time either of us has invoked it in this timeline.

“Fine, but you’re explaining to Cory why he’s not getting a taste of my taco tonight.” Is it just me or does she sound relieved to not see that smug S.O.B. tonight? Maybe we won’t have a falling out over him after all.

“I’ll call your boyfriend, but that means you have to procure the wine.”

“Deal.”

* * *

Thirty minutes later, we’re sitting on my bed in our pajamas, passing a bottle of cheap wine back and forth between us. My face hurts from laughing so much as we discuss everything and nothing at all. This moment is a balm, healing a part of me I didn’t realize was injured.

“Okay, let’s play truth or dare,” Grace suggests, opening our second bottle.

“With just us? Grace, you already know everything about me. And I love you, but if this is a ploy to get my v-card, I’m saving that for Br–, um, someone else.” I almost said Brock, but decided I don’t want to restart that conversation. My feelings about him are too upsetting to think about right now. I want to relax and enjoy my friend, not fret over a guy.

“True, but I was hoping I could dare you to strip naked and run through campus.”

“Um, no thanks. I don’t want to get arrested and end up on a registry.” And knowing my luck, I’d most certainly get caught. That’s a humiliation I don’t want. Ever.

“Boo,” she teases, throwing a pillow at me. “You’re no fun.”

“Shut up and pass me the bottle.”

She takes a long pull before handing me the wine. “I know. Let me cut your hair.”

“That’s a negative. You’re drunk, and I’m not interested in looking like a weed whacker attacked me.”

She throws herself back on the bed. “Uh, I’m so bored. Tell me about the future.”

“What do you want to know?”

She tilts her head, scrunching her face. “I don’t really know. You refuse to tell me the only thing I want to know.”

“I’m afraid if I tell you what went wrong with us before, I’ll lose you again.” That and the details are fuzzy, but I’m afraid if I admit I don’t fully remember what happened, she’ll get upset and accuse me of not caring enough about our friendship to dredge up all the details. That’s not true at all. Grace is important to me. So, why can’t I remember?

She holds up her right hand. “I promise not to be mad about what happened.”

“We fought about Cory. I didn’t think he was good enough for you.”

She jumps up, knocking her hip into the desk next to her bed, rattling everything on top. “Are you kidding me?”

I wince, fearing this is where I lose her.

“How dumb am I? Why would I fight you over that? You were right. He’s not good enough for me.” She flops back onto the bed. “God, it feels good to admit that.”

“The blame isn’t just yours. I was spoiling for a fight because I thought you were jealous Hunter wanted me to move to Texas with him. You told me I was stupid to give up my internship in London for him. Which you were right about, by the way.”

“So, you were an idiot, too?” She laughs. “What the hell was wrong with us in your weird future? None of that could be real. We’re definitely not that stupid in real life. There’s no way we’d let boys come between us. And we damn sure wouldn’t let them keep us from living our dreams.”

I sit up, turning somber. “But Grace, this isn’t real.” I point my finger, gesturing between us.

She shrugs. “It sure feels real to me. And I’d bet my right tit tomorrow’s hangover from this cheap wine will feel real.”

I laugh. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I’ve been here all along, and my memories of the future are the result of a concussion after a night of drinking or something. That seems more plausible than me actually time traveling. This isn’t some sort of Sci-Fi novel.

She grows serious, pinning me with an intense stare. “What if I’m right? What if this is real, and you never were in the future? How would you feel about the choices you’re making?”

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