Page 55 of Our Forever Starts Tonight

I nodded. “Yeah. Just like that.”

“I’ll cancel with my guy then, and go with you,” Hannah said. “I really want you there.”

“No,” I said. “You’re not canceling and I’m not going. You’re going to have a great time with this guy, and if you don’t, just tell Ceradi and she’ll mock him until he wishes he wasn’t born. You want me to get over Aria, right?”

Hannah sighed. “Yeah.”

“Then I need to not go to a dance where she’s probably going to look unbelievable and spend the whole night dancing and laughing with someone else,” I said.

“It’s not like things are romantic between them,” Hannah said. “Arden’s gay, but Aria isn’t.”

“No, I know that, but it doesn’t change the fact that I would spend the whole dance watching her and wishing that was me.” I put my hands on her shoulder. “Trust me, you don’t want me there. If something really goes wrong with that guy, you can call me and I’ll come get you. We’ll make Taylor buy us beer and watch B movies in his basement all night.”

Hannah nodded. “Fine, but I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too,” I replied, “but I’m certain that this is for the best.”

22

Aria

Ipulled up in front of work and parked my car and then slammed my head on the steering wheel. I’d been considering calling out sick all week, but Arden talked me out of it, saying that avoiding the inevitable was only going to make everything worse. She was right, I knew she was, but that didn’t change the urge I had to flee as I sat there. Lucky’s car was already parked out front as well, and if the look of hope that he had on his face when I saw him last was any indicator, he was probably waiting right inside to hear what I’d decided.

I fished my phone out of my bag and quickly navigated to Arden’s number and pressed the button to video call her. It rang a couple of times before a very close up and unkempt image of Arden appeared on the screen.

“For what reason do you call me so early, my liege?” she said. “The serfs also need their sleep.”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, but I’m sitting in front of work and I’m seriously freaking out. I can’t do this. He flipped out so much last time,” I said. “He’s my best friend. I don’t want to lose him.”

“Aria.” Arden sat up in bed and ran her hand through her hair. “I know that you guys were close, but if he gets ‘nice guy’ syndrome about this, then he was never your friend to begin with. It’s important that you’re up front with him, and if hereallycares about you, he’ll understand.”

“What if he doesn’t?” I said, welling up at the thought of never talking to Lucky again after everything we’d been through together.

Arden frowned. “Sweetie, I know this is hard, but if he doesn’t then this might be the end of the road for you two. Do you want someone sticking around you like that? Look, I’m not even kidding, if I thought you were even marginally gay, I’d be going for it, but you told me you weren’t and I let it go. That’s what friendship is, understanding that, even in spite of pesky feelings, you can get around it and still be friends. I just want you to be happy, and if he’s your friend, that’s what he’ll want for you too.”

“Yeah. I know you’re right,” I said. “But maybe I could tell him that next week.”

Arden laughed. “Or, you could woman up and go tell him right now, and I’m not just saying that because I want to go back to sleep.” I giggled. “I’m saying that because the longer you draw this out, the worse it’s going to be for both of you. He needs to know, and you need to not have this cloud of doubt looming over you. You are never going to be able to take over the world if you’re too busy wondering if your best friend has an ulterior motive.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Yeah! I need to not let this hinder me anymore. Just like I straight up let Tristan know we were done, I can tell Lucky that too.”

“That’s my girl!” Arden said. “Now please, my lord, may I return to my cot.”

“Go, go. I’m sorry for waking you up,” I said.

She winked at me. “Don’t worry about it. You know I’m here for you day or night.”

“I do know that. Thanks.”

“Love ya, kid,” Arden said.

“Love you too,” I replied. “Bye.”

Hanging up the phone and sliding it back into my bag, I took a huge breath in, held it until I started to feel lightheaded and then I let it out. My heart was pounding and my hands were clammy, but I knew it was time to do this. Arden was right, Lucky deserved the truth, and so did I.

Rehearsing the lines I’d said to myself a million times in my bed until I fell asleep the night before, I got out of my car and headed into work. I offered Billy a tepid greeting and then stepped nervously into the break room. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping that Lucky had already been called out into the shelter to handle some task or another, but he was sitting at the break table and looked up the second I walked in.

He shot up and took a deep breath. “Aria.”

---