I didn’t back down but kept my gaze on her as she tossed away her yogurt and went to the coffeepot.
“Fine,” she huffed, glaring at me over her shoulder. “The short version is that Kurt and I broke up. He cheated on me with his assistant, of all people, which is totally cliché. I fell for all the times he said there was nothing going on between them.”
“Oh honey,” I whispered. They’d been together barely over a year. She’d thought he was the one. The pain in her voice was only minimal to the fury making it shake.
“Then,” she continued, slamming down the pot of coffee. “Because my day couldn’t get any better, my boss at the salon told me she was closing up shop.”
“What?”
“Yeah. There’s a ton of construction in the area and it won’t be done for another year. She’s basically losing all her clients to the hassle of it, so she decided not to fight it anymore.” She heaved a heavy, shaky breath. “So, in the last thirty-six hours, I humiliated myself walking into Kurt’s office to see him, the surprise to end all surprises, making out with Tiffany of all people, the blonde, big-boobed, bimbo he probably hired based on her substantial cup size alone, and then I showed up at the salon to be told I had to find a new place to rent a chair or I wouldn’t be working for the foreseeable future.” She spun, still glaring at me, but this time I didn’t take it personally. This would be enough to send anyone into a rage. “Since I suddenly found myself without a boyfriend and jobless, I decided, what the hell. You’re here alone. I could use a break. So I hopped a flight and flew down.”
“Gabby—”
“Happy now?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Of course I’m not happy about any of that.”
“It’s fine. It’ll be fine. My mom will give me more shit about acting before I think, saying I’m too emotional and not level-headed enough, but whatever.” She shrugged and poured a hefty amount of sugar into her mug. “Seeing as how I helped Garrett rent this home and found it for him before he ever moved here, I figure it’s half mine so I could be here.”
“Of course you can be here. But can you at least come here and give me a hug and say hello to me like a normal person?” My lips twitched. While protective, she wasn’t overly affectionate. Her blowing me off at the door wasn’t really all that surprising if she was mad at me or hurting herself as the case appeared to be.
Her lip curled at the suggestion and I chuckled, dropping my hands to my hips.
“Okay, so we’re not ready for hugs yet. Anything you want to do while you’re here? I have some work to get done this week, but it’s flexible.”
“I think the only thing I want to know is if you’re really here for Garrett this time. As in staying.”
I sighed.
I figured she’d hit me with that eventually.
“Yeah. Gabby. I’m here for him. For us.” To emphasize, I brushed my hand over my stomach. There was a fullness there I hadn’t noticed even a couple days ago. Mostly I thickened at my hips, but there was a tiny bloat only I could probably notice. “I head back to Chicago next week and I need to talk to my boss about something, but yeah, I’ll be moving back here. Permanently.”
Her lips pushed out, dark eyes that looked nothing like Garrett’s narrowed on me. She was gorgeous. Always had been. Even while she inspected me, ferreting out whether or not I was being truthful she was still one of the most beautiful women I knew.
“And you’ll be okay, you know.”
Her chin trembled and she set down her coffee mug. With a slight lift of her chin, she stretched out her arms. “Come here, bitch. And give me a hug.”
“Things okay?” Garrett asked. “Gabby didn’t hurt you, did she?”
“No.” I laughed and dug through clothes in my suitcases. I’d brought way too much stuff for a few weeks here and hadn’t bothered unpacking a thing. But I was leaving in less than a week and I’d be back so I was trying to go through what could stay, what I could still fit into when I returned, or someday again. Garrett hadn’t offered me space in his closet, but I didn’t figure he’d mind.
“She’s sleeping and upset. Apparently she lost her job and then Kurt all in one swoop. Came down here to get away.”
“Fuck. I never liked that piece of shit.”
“You wouldn’t like anyone your sister liked.”
“Not true.” He laughed. “It’ll just have to be a special kind of guy for me to like, and Kurt was too basic for her. Too much of an ego with shiny hair. Never trust a guy with so much gel in his hair it doesn’t move in the wind.”
“Is that a rule?” I asked, laughing at his description. He wasn’t wrong. I hadn’t met Kurt but I’d seen pictures.
“Should be. How is she then?”
“Tired. Upset. But I’m glad she’s here. I like the company.”
“I’m glad you’re not alone, too. Hold on a sec.” He must’ve covered his phone because muffled voices came through and then he was back. “Hey, listen, guys want to go grab some lunch before we need to get to the arena. Braxton found a juice bar he’s forcing us to try so I need to get going okay?”
“Of course it’s fine. And don’t worry about us, okay? Gabby and I will be here, cheering you on tonight, but focus on the game. Don’t worry about us.”
“Two of the three most important women in my life? Of course I’ll worry.”
“I love you,” I whispered. “You’re so good to me. To us.” Words came so easily for him, harder for me. I wasn’t a heart and flowers kind of girl who needed flowers and I certainly wasn’t good at giving them. Every time Garrett told me, and then showed me how much he cared I wanted to cry.
Happy tears.
Thankful ones. Because I’d almost ruined us and he kept giving me more chances.
My voice shook as I said, “Head in the game, Garrett. Gabby and I will be just fine. But we miss you and love you.”
“You too, honey. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I glanced around his room, at the messed up covers on his bed I hadn’t yet made for the day and the enormous mess I had scattered all over it. “I’ll be here.”
“Yeah, you will.”
His tone turned to gravel, letting me know he was thinking the same thing I was.
I would be here for him when he returned. And soon, it’d be for always.
“Before I forget. I left something for you in the cupboard by the fridge. Use it to your heart’s content.”
“What is it?”
“Go find out and have fun. But use it or I’ll be pissed.”
“Aye-aye bossy pants.”
He chuckled, and that rumble drifted through the phone, straight to my chest. Where my heart warmed and squeezed and other parts of me heated.
“Garrett,” I said his name on a breath. There was nothing else to say. He was just so damn good to me.
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “I gotta get off the phone, get rid of my erection now that you’ve got me all turned on with those sounds you make. Love you, Lizzie. Call you tomorrow.”